South Australian rail damage causing supply concerns in Mid West

Geraldton locals should brace for more food shortages in the supermarket in coming weeks amid the fallout from the damaged freight line that connects WA to the Eastern States. Torrential rain more than 2400km away is playing havoc with supermarket supplies across WA and according to local food suppliers, could stop people enjoying a range of items, including their favourite brand of biscuit or morning yoghurt. Flooding in South Australia has damaged large portions of the Trans-Australian railway, the main freight line connecting WA to the Eastern States, with trains and cargo left stranded in Adelaide putting more strain on shops already struggling to get supplies in. Western Independent Foods is a wholesale food supplier which delivers throughout the Mid West. Managing director Rod O’Bree said Geraldton could expect more shortages in the coming weeks. “We’ve got a lot of supply here (in WA) but we are starting to see some problems,” he said. “I think it will take three to four weeks to get back to normal.” While fresh produce — including fruit and vegetables — is sourced mostly from within WA and remains readily available, Mr O’Bree said smallgoods such as biscuits, yoghurt and pre-packaged meats could become few and far between. “You might have to get used to the lamb from Billy’s butcher down the road, rather than having the duck,” Mr O’Bree said. “It’s the same pattern that occurred in the first COVID wave. People aren’t going to the cafes and takeaways as much and sticking to the supermarkets, so there’s much more strain on them.” A look at supermarket shelves around Geraldton showed the major chains were running low on pasta, toilet paper, cat food and long-life milk. Pre-packaged meat, dairy products and eggs were thin, with some brands not available. However, local shelves were full of products Perth was lacking such as canned tuna, shampoo, and rice. Rigter’s operations manager Stuart Bain said stocks at Rigter’s group IGAs were taking a hit but the stores did not have the empty shelves the major chains did. He said some brands of products such as rice, pasta and biscuits had been lacking but stores hadn’t lost entire product lines. “There’s some shortages in some areas, but there’s always an alternative,” he said. “Things like Cruskets, they’re not a staple of anyone’s diet. You might not be able to get Cruskets but there are other biscuits available.” Mr Bain is confident the extra stock held by both the shops and their suppliers means the impact of the rail closure will be noticeable, but not devastating. “There will be some things that people miss,” he said. “I was speaking to a few managers of some big brands and they’re saying they’ve got alternate supply routes in the works. Arnott’s have told me they have an alternate supply for Tim Tams.” While repairs to the Trans-Australian Railway are likely to take until at least until the end of the week, Mr O’Bree and Mr Bain expect the effects to last much longer. “It’ll be about six weeks until we’re back at full stock again,” Mr Bain said. “It sounds like a long time but our guys are working flat out to get supplies in.”