The Owanilla loop was built in the early nineties for a woodchip mill, with the trains running to Gladstone, the complete circle was used to allow the wagons to be inspected on one circuit and then loaded on the second circuit. The mill closed about ten years ago and the loop has been owned by local investors for a few years. Earlier this year it was reported the John Holland group were replacing sleepers on the loop.
Although it hasn't indicated it will use rail, the Autlus Renewables compressed wood pellet mill has been built several kilometres away to export 125,000-tonnes/annum of compressed pellets to Japanese and South Korean power stations and will be sourcing waste timber from throughout Queensland...it's about the closest major industry to the loop generating rail friendly tonnages (but it's all road haul at the moment).
