VITERRA’S Tumby Bay site is receiving a million-dollar upgrade in time for the 2017-18 harvest to benefit local growers, carriers and the wider economy.
The latest in grain receival technology is being installed, including a new classification office, a fully-automated 40-metre-long weighbridge and automatic grain probes.
Viterra Western Region operations manager James Murray said the Tumby Bay investment would improve service levels, efficiency and safety.
“The automatic probes run the length of the truck on overhead tracks and will be controlled by an employee with a joystick in the classification office,” he said.
“Visual inspection of the truck will be via video cameras on the probes.
“With employees no longer probing at height, it made sense to put the classification office on the ground to remove the need for stairs and improve safety and efficiencies.
“The automated weighbridge is technology which has been operating at Outer Harbor for the past few years, so we know this works well.”
Viterra Group operations manager Michael Hill said Viterra was investing millions of dollars into the network to provide a safe, efficient and sustainable supply chain for its grower, domestic and export customers.
“We have a large capital works program and continue to make investments despite the pressures being placed on our business through soaring electricity costs and the higher levels of regulation, when compared with other supply chains,” he said.
“We have added more than a million tonnes of storage to our network in the past two years which will benefit the state’s grain industry for years to come.
“We have also purchased millions of dollars worth of on-site equipment, including 21 new front-end loaders, four new drive-over hopper and stacker sets, and more than 50 conveyor belt upgrades, for the benefit of the full grain supply chain.”
Other works across the state this year include:
- Thevenard: New 40m weighbridge being built at the bunker site.
- Rudall and Cummins: Sheds being resealed and painted.
- Brinkworth: Portable weighbridge being installed, allowing the site to reopen this harvest.
- Loxton: Classification office layout being redesigned and upgraded.
- Roseworthy: More land bought to expand the site in future.
- Multiple sites: Multi-million dollar upgrades to electrical switch rooms; replacement or upgrade of shiploading infrastructure; and sealing and painting steel bins.
