The spatial structure of the Australian sugar industry

Abstract

The agricultural economy of the coastal zone of Queensland and adjacent areas of New South Wales is dominated by sugar production designed for inter-state and overseas export destinations. The modern bulk-cargo terminals which provide shipment facilities at six Queensland sugarports constitute a critical element in a complex system of cultivation, processing, transport and marketing which is closely supervised and controlled at every stage. Attention is focused in this paper on two inter-related aspects of the Australian sugar industry. First, the spatial relationships between sugar cane cultivation areas, sugar mills and sugarports are examined in terms of the factors involved in hinterland structures. Second, attention is given to the role of the sugarports within this system and in the regional economy of the area. The evolution of a series of sugarport systems is outlined, and the modern terminals are discussed in the context of their various predecessors and in terms of comparative cargo throughputs.

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