As the Port’s designated interface between road, rail and the container terminals, the Brisbane Multimodal Terminal (BMT) is a key node in the logistics supply chain.
With a focus on growing the volume of freight on rail through the Port, it’s led by our fantastic team on the ground, responsible for facilitating the efficient movement of containers through the BMT every week of the year.
Diverse range of cargo on the tracks
Moving large volumes of interstate and intrastate cargo into and out of the port by rail means the BMT needs to provide flexibility and scalability to service its customers.
“There's quite a bit of diversity across our cargo; we offer depot solutions for import or export, dry or refrigerated containerised cargo,” said Manager Operations, Sarah Harris.
Over recent months, the Port has also seen an increase in the number of trains coming into the yard as well as a ‘milestone’, with a 900m train from Aurizon calling at the BMT in September – the longest ever to call.
"As a business, we’re focused on working closely with our customers to grow the volume of containers through the BMT and service their needs.” said Sarah.
"It’s an exciting time of growth and that means we’re also eager to grow the team as the work increases.”
Decades of experience across the team
The team at the BMT has a wealth of experience, with members spanning from seasoned veterans with decades under their belt to fresh talents injecting innovation and new ideas into every day.
BMT Coordinator, Tammy Dance, started her time with the Port as a contractor and now works in the BMT office, ensuring the team knows what’s coming in, going out and where it must go.
“I started as a contractor which was great because I was liaising with the team by moving around to the different areas. Through that, I developed great relationships and ended up coming on board. I really enjoy the work and we have fun as a team,” said Tammy.
Whether they’re working in the office like Tammy or working in the yard with their fleet of five forklifts including their newest machines, ‘Daisy’ and ‘Yindi’ – container handling equipment (CHE) that can lift 40 tonnes and are fitted with the diesel oxygenated catalyst feature to reduce emissions over their life span – the team loves the diversity of the work.
BMT Operator, Casey Walker, who started at the Port in 2023 and drives our machine Daisy, said he thought the team worked well together and understood each other's personalities and strengths, making work more seamless.
“In my short time at the Port I love the opportunities that I've been given and that we’re continually being challenged to step outside our comfort zones – I like that we all have the opportunity to look for new ways to work more efficiently or do things differently,” said Casey.
How the team handles the challenges of the day
When talking to the BMT Operations team, common themes emerge about what keeps them on their toes and at the Port, whether 22 years on or 11 months in…
“I think we're the kind of workplace where something can happen in the morning and we’re presented with a challenge, but we work together to recover quickly and ensure the rest of the day goes smoothly and it’s business as usual,” said BMT Operator, Lyndon Myatt.
“There's also the opportunity for people to develop professionally regardless of their role and it’s great to work at an organisation where you have the ability to do that.”
The team anticipates new challenges in the future as they see changes across rail in Queensland and nationally – but they’re excited.
“As business changes and grows, we know we’ll hit new challenges but it’s nothing we can’t handle – that’s what makes it exciting and interesting, it's doing something new and with a great team.” said Sarah.