Shipping containers Murgon
The dairy town of the district, sitting on the Barambah with Bjelke-Petersen Dam a short run east. Murgon work is dominated by working properties — dairies, beef country and the fodder operations that supply them — plus the lakeside blocks that fill up over summer.
- Postcode
- 4605
- Local government
- South Burnett Regional Council
- The run
- About 45 km north of Kingaroy on the Bunya Highway
- Usual vehicle
- Tilt-tray; sidelifter for 40s onto dairy and shed hardstand
What people order for Murgon
The bulk of Murgon orders come down to fodder, mineral supplement and vet supply storage on the dairies through the Barambah country, secure storage for irrigation and pump gear near the dam, hay and fencing storage on the beef blocks north towards Wheatlands, boat and camping gear on the lakeside allotments, and workshop overflow for the engineering and transport businesses in town. The specification follows the job rather than the other way round, which is why we ask what is going in the box before quoting anything.
| Unit | Used from | New from |
|---|---|---|
| 10ft Containers | $4,350 | $6,400 |
| 20ft Containers | $2,200 | $3,300 |
| 40ft Containers | $2,600 | $5,500 |
Entry prices, ex GST. The grade the job actually needs is the larger variable by some distance. The figure we give you for Murgon already covers putting it on the ground there.
Containers on a working dairy
The recurring purchase is a 20ft that takes mineral supplement, vet supplies and the consumables out of the dairy itself and puts them somewhere clean, lockable and dry. That matters more in a dairy than in most sheds because of what gets stored alongside what, and because a wash-down environment is not kind to cardboard.
The second one is fodder, and that is where the 40ft argument gets made. Per cubic metre it is much the cheaper box, and for hay or bagged feed held between cuts the sums are not close. The catch is placement — a 40ft needs a long straight approach and about 30m of working room, which most dairies have somewhere but not necessarily where you would like the container.
Worth deciding early: a side opening unit costs more and pays for itself immediately if a telehandler is loading it twice a day.
The dam and the blocks around it
Bjelke-Petersen Dam brings a different customer entirely. Blocks near the water tend to be smaller, sloped, and used seasonally, and what goes in the container is boats, camping gear, fishing tackle and outboards rather than anything agricultural.
For that job a 10ft is often the right size despite costing more than a 20ft, because it will fit onto a small sloping block where a 20ft simply cannot be placed level. It also picks up again easily if the block changes hands or the gear moves.
Grade matters here more than people expect. Anything with an engine in it wants a cargo-worthy unit at minimum — as-is units are cheaper and are not sold watertight, which is fine for steel and wrong for an outboard.
Access and ground conditions at Murgon
The soil is what defines delivery here. A good deal of the flat country along Barambah Creek is heavy black clay, and it behaves in the opposite way to the red soil to the south: dry, it is as good a surface as you will find; wet, it goes deep, and it goes deep well below where the surface suggests. A sidelifter standing on its legs in that country after rain is the classic way to lose an afternoon and a recovery fee, so we would rather wait two days than push it. Dairy access has its own quirks. Laneways are built for stock and a tractor rather than a rigid truck with a long wheelbase, and the gate into the yard is often the narrowest point on the property. Cattle grids are the other one: they look substantial and a fair number are not rated for a loaded vehicle, so if the only way in crosses a grid we need to know before dispatch. Around the dam the blocks are smaller and steeper, with short driveways coming off the road at a grade, and on those a crane truck is often quicker and cheaper than trying to make a tilt-tray fit.
Common to every job wherever it is: something firm below, enough length to line up, and open air above the placement. Where that is in doubt we would rather look at photographs than guess. Full detail in getting a container onto your block.
Murgon — common questions
Can a truck get into a dairy laneway at Murgon?
Often, but it is worth checking rather than assuming, because laneways are built for stock and tractors rather than a rigid with a long wheelbase. The two things to measure are the narrowest gate on the route and whether there is a cattle grid, since a good number of grids are not rated for a loaded vehicle. If either is marginal we will place from the nearest hardstand instead.
How does the black soil affect delivery?
Dry, the flats along Barambah Creek are excellent going. Wet, the same ground goes deep and it does so well below the depth the surface suggests, which is exactly the situation that bogs a sidelifter standing on its legs. After decent rain we would rather push the delivery back a couple of days than attempt it and hand you a recovery bill.
What size suits a fodder store?
A 40ft, in most cases, because per cubic metre it is far cheaper than two 20s and hay does not need frequent access. The constraint is placement rather than price — allow a long straight approach and about 30m of working room. If the only spot with that room is not where you want the container, that is worth resolving before the day rather than on it.
Do you deliver out to the dam and the lakeside blocks?
Yes. The blocks near Bjelke-Petersen tend to be smaller and steeper with short driveways coming off the road at a grade, and on those a crane truck is frequently the quicker and cheaper answer than forcing a tilt-tray into a space that does not suit it. Send a photo of the driveway and the intended spot and we will tell you which it is.
Elsewhere in the South Burnett
Work out the Murgon sums first
We will quote it bought and hired so the comparison is yours to make.
(07) 4141 7699Mon–Fri 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am–12pm. If we are out on a run, leave a message or send the form and you will get a call back.