We are committed to improving and developing our supply chain network to provide growers with competitive fees, faster receivals and deliver more tonnes to port at the right time to maximise the value of growers' grain.
Since 2017, we have accelerated investment in the network with nearly $1 billion invested in 2.7 million tonnes of additional storage, 80 throughput enhancement projects and over 400 sustaining capital projects.
The bulk of our investment focuses on enhancing ‘network’ sites , which receives the bulk of the annual harvest. By focusing investment in network sites, we improve grower service, make ongoing cost savings and increase efficiency across the entire network.
Our network investment is divided in several key parts: Expand and Enhance; Sustain capital and Maintenance.
Explore our Site Map below to find out information on individual sites including investments and projects completed over recent years.
- Network site
- Non-network site
- Site for lease
- Site leased
- Site retired
- Site for sale
- Site sold
Expansions and enhancements
Work in this area aims to improve how quickly we can receive deliveries plus meet the demands at harvest as the pace and size of the crop increases. Over the past decade, the average size of trucks delivering grain to our sites has grown from 38 tonnes to 48 tonnes, while the speed growers deliver to us has increased by approximately 25 per cent.
Some expansion and enhancement projects include:
The Cranbrook receival site is one of the major sites within the Albany Zone, receiving on average about 350,000 tonnes a year over the past five years.
View site information
One of the CBH’s significant site refurbishments in 2018 was the optimisation of shiploaders at Kwinana Grain Terminal.
View site informationSustaining capital
Sustaining capital works are an essential part of our network investment. These projects aim to extend the useful life of our infrastructure and equipment so our assets are in top working order for the long-term.
Work in this area includes the annual port shutdowns at our four grain terminals, equipment upgrades, storage refurbishments, roadworks and electrical works.
As we continue our elevated investment in the network, focus on sustaining capital projects will increase as we work to ensure our existing assets and infrastructure are performing to expectations.
Some examples of sustaining capital works include:
- Albany Grain Terminal storage refurbishment and cell remediation
- Kwinana Jetty remediation works (ongoing)
- Geraldton Grain Terminal shiploader upgrade
- Roadworks at more than 20 sites
- Road resurfacing at Merredin, Broomehill and Lake Varley
- Civil works at Arrino, Mingenew and Perenjori
- Storage refurbishment at Binnu, Carnamah, Coorow, Kalannie, Avon, Meckering, Bulyee, Grass Patch and West River
- Electrical refurbishments or upgrades at Carnamah, Avon, Kulin, Mindarabin, Lake Varley and Lake King
Albany Grain Terminal
Sustaining the structural integrity of our port infrastructure is vital to ensuring Western Australian grain is ready for export when our international customers require it. As part of our network investment in 2020, $1.7 million was committed to extensive storage refurbishment and concrete remediation works at our Albany Grain Terminal. The project sought to address deterioration that became apparent through concrete spalling and internal corrosion caused by moisture at the port location. Delamination of the outer layer of several cells was also evident, reducing the structural integrity of the infrastructure while increasing the risk of concrete falling.
Repair work involved the removal of concrete in the affected areas to fully expose the corroded steel, the removal of corrosion from steel, the installation of sacrificial zinc anodes and the installation of new concrete. A marine-grade protective coating was also applied to the cells to ensure the longevity of repair works. The works took place over a period of five months and were completed in time for exporting the 2020-21 crop. This was an example of a project conducted as part of our sustaining capital works to extend the useful life of our equipment and assets at receival sites and ports and maintain key infrastructure.
Maintenance
Each year we commit a portion of our investment in the network towards our maintenance program, which is dedicated to the consistent reparation works required to keep our equipment and infrastructure running.
Successful maintenance relies on skilled trades being supported with the right information, the right spares, and right tools at the right time.
Our Asset Management Group works closely with the teams in the field to translate “tricks of the trade” and lessons learned into work instructions that are applied consistently through the state. This helps us continuously improve our maintenance practices and asset reliability.