South Australia’s freight industry has regained a critical supply chain link with the commissioning of a new heavy vehicle barge on Cooper Creek.
The $27.4 million project, jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian Governments, reconnects pastoralists and tourism operators who were cut off by record flooding earlier this year.
The barge is the largest of its kind in the state and is capable of transporting a fully loaded A-double truck and trailer combination.
Its operation re-opens a vital transport corridor for livestock and essential goods, securing beef supply chains and supporting jobs in tourism and meat processing.
The Birdsville Track, a 517-kilometre route between Birdsville in Queensland and Marree in South Australia, is once again accessible to freight operators and tourists.
Flooding in the northeast of South Australia followed significant rainfall in Queensland, pushing Cooper Creek to one of its highest levels on record at Innamincka and surpassing the 1974 flood event. Waters spread across 32,000 square kilometres, leaving around 10,000 cattle stranded across remote properties and cutting off regular transport for months.
Constructed from 12 modular pontoons and assembled on-site with cranes, the barge underwent rigorous testing before opening for bookings yesterday according to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport.
Roadworks on both approaches have been completed to ensure safe access, with further upgrades underway. Government ownership of the barge is intended to future-proof the crossing against future flood events, providing operators with confidence that freight can continue to move even in extreme conditions.
In other news, JD Refrigerated Transport is expanding its business and fleet.
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