The recent announcement that Mackay Sugar will begin transporting 700,000 tonnes of cane from the Tablelands to Mossman Mill from 2014 has concerned some local residents.

In a statement, Mackay Sugar Chief Executive Officer, Quinton Hildebrand, outlined the expected increase, and said the volumes are comparable to that transported to the Mossman Mill prior to the construction of the Tableland Mill.

"From the 2014 season, an additional three trucks will operate on the Rex Range every hour, lifting the total amount of trucks to eight per hour.

"These (B-Double) trucks will have a 36 tonne carrying capacity and will operate during the crushing period only. However, the crushing season will increase from 20 weeks to 30 weeks in 2014, and will commence in May each year, weather permitting."

Mr Hilderbrand said the crushing week would also be extended from five to seven days.

He anticipated that, from 2014, these trucks will deliver all cane to a transfer station (Cassowary Ramps) located approximately six kilometres south of Mossman, with the cane then transported to the Mossman Mill via the rail network.

But Ralf Moritz, of Julatten and Molloy Association of Residents and Ratepayers (JAMARR), says the additional B-Double truck traffic on the Rex Range road will reach dangerous levels.

"The B-Double situation on the Rex Range is already at a critical level. The Rex Range was not made for, and is not suitable for, B-Double trucks," Mr Moritz wrote in an email to parliamentarians Andrew Powell (Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection), Scott Emerson (Minister for Transport and Main Roads), and David Kempton (State Member for Cook),  and Tablelands Regional Council Mayor, Rosa Lee Long.

"These trucks are not able to traverse the range without regularly crossing double white lines.
 
"Any extra truck movements on the range is dangerous and impractical. Dangerous to all who use the range, including school buses, tourists, workers, wildlife and more," he said.

Mr Moritz said added the road would need millions of dollars spent on it to repair the damage done by the trucks.

"The vibration of trucks over past years has severely impacted on the stability of the road, which has at times needed substantial repairs. One section recently was in disrepair for two years and one can only guess at the cost of the 24 hour stop-go persons and various other workers involved.

"Who is going to pay for these repairs?  Not to mention the impact on the rest of the highway."

Mr Mortiz expressed concern over the impact of the trucks on other users of the road, and the environmental impacts of the increase in traffic.

"These trucks, we have learnt, are to run 24 hours a day every day. School buses, cyclists, bird watchers, children and horse riders use the highway regularly.   

"The number of truck rollovers in the last years averages out to three per year. Even three is too many and one can only imagine the situation with an extra 35,000 - 40,000 truck movements each year.
 
"Peoples' lives and safety would be severely impacted upon.
 
"This approval also makes a total farce of any bio-diversity overlays that the State Government is trying to impose on residents in the area.

"Wildlife corridors running across the highway will be severely impacted upon and wildlife will not stand a chance against such huge trucks and such a huge number of truck movements."

Mackay Sugar are planning to hold a Community Information Session at the Mt Molloy Community Hall on 4 June from 5pm in an effort to provide the Mt Molloy and Julatten residents with a better understanding of the transportation arrangements.