Wiley wash down facility helps control weed spread in the Western Downs


Wiley project team members recently gathered with representatives from the Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC), State Government and QGC to officially turn the first sod and mark the start of construction for a heavy vehicle wash down facility at Chinchilla in Queensland.

This project provides the region with a state-of-the-art wash down facility which will cater for everything from a 4×4 Ute up to a road train, including agricultural equipment. Wastewater is processed on site and will not add any load onto existing sewage infrastructure.

Wash down facilities are a vital part of the national plan to control the spread of, and eventually eliminate, the dangerous weed parthenium. This prolific and aggressive plant currently costs the beef industry a total of $16.5 million per year and cropping industries several million dollars per year.


Deputy Mayor of the WDRC, Councillor George Moore

Speaking at the Sod Turning Ceremony, carried out on 12th August 2013, Deputy Mayor of the WDRC, Councillor George Moore said, “This wash down will assist in preventing the weed spread of invasive weeds throughout the local and surrounding region. I congratulate Wiley on their successful tender and look forward to the progress of the facility.”


Pictured Right to left: Wiley Project Manager, Ben Murphy, Western Downs Regional Councillor, Greg Olm, Deputy Mayor Western Downs Regional Councillor, George Moore, Regional Director for Department of State Development, John Bird and Sarah Worthing, Social Performance Coordinator, QGC

Wiley Project Manager Ben Murphy said “the Western Downs Regional Council should be commended for taking the initiative to provide a facility that will help control the spread of a serious threat to the local land and the livelihoods of the people who live and work in the region.”

The project is set for completion by late 2013.