Taking Australian agricultural exports to new heights

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Australia’s Darling Downs region in Queensland is the country’s largest agricultural producer. For years, reaching export markets had been a challenge, because the nearest airport was hours away.

Cattle unloaded for processing. /CGTN Photo

“You’ve got to rely on ships so that takes 30 to 40 days to get to your end destination so if they run out of beef for example you just have to wait until the next ship comes in,” said Oakey Beef Exports general manager Patrick Gleeson.

Transporting goods in Queensland. /CGTN Photo

That meant exporting perishable goods wasn’t an option, until Wagners Holding Company Chairman Denis Wagner and his brothers proposed building a privately funded airport in Toowoomba to help attract businesses.

Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba. /CGTN Photo

“There was a lot of skepticism about the project. Until we had it almost complete I think a lot of people weren’t convinced that we firstly had the ability to do it, or secondly that there was actually a need for it,” said Wagner.

Three and a half years later, the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport has grown to include dozens of passenger flights. It also freights more than 60 tons of fresh produce direct to Hong Kong each week, and it has helped producers overcome some of the obstacles in doing business overseas.

“It’s opened up alternative markets for us, ones we never thought about having product, you know, portion cuts so our vision here going forward is that we can process here on a Monday and have it on a shelf in Shanghai by a Thursday,” said Gleeson.

Oakey Beef Exports cattle. /CGTN Photo

The airport has also helped attract more producers, including a dairy processor with plans to export fresh milk directly to China.

“They know now that we have the connectivity to the world to take their product anywhere they want to go to in a very quick time frame,” said Bruce McConnel, general manager of Food Leaders Australia.

(Top image: A plane at the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport /CGTN Photo)

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