Stephen Wagner
• Richmond Valley Cane Grower
• 146 hectares
Stephen Wagner and his family have a long and deep-rooted history with the local sugar industry.
Having grown up on the family farm near Woodburn, Stephen continues to run this property along with two other farms, had a distinguished career in engineering, with over 37 years at the Broadwater Sugar Mill, and in 2024, was appointed as Chairman of the grower-owned NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative board.
Stephen grew up on a dairy farm, which his father converted to sugarcane in the 1970’s, just outside of the village of Woodburn. After finishing High School, he went on to complete a Fitter Machinist apprenticeship in Lismore.
In 1980 Stephen was offered a Fitter position at the Broadwater Sugar Mill. Within two years he was promoted to Shift Supervisor.
“In the 1980’s each shift would be manned by up to 24 people,” explained Stephen.
“The position of Shift Supervisor was responsible for ensuring the shift was fully manned, time sheets filled out along with a host of other administrative responsibilities. In a time when there were no two-way radios, little automation and just 1 outside telephone on site, the job involved a lot of walking, talking and manual oversight.”
In stark contrast, the NSW sugar mills now run each shift with 8 people or less since the introduction of instrumentation and computerised control systems.
Stephen commented that; “When I started at Broadwater, there were only two items in the factory that were computer-controlled compared to today where there are literally thousands.”
While working at the mill, Stephen undertook formal studies in Engineering. Over the course of 6 years, Stephen completed an Associate Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern Queensland, married his wife Fiona and welcomed the first three of their four children.
The Broadwater Sugar Mill presented numerous career opportunities over his tenure including Project Engineer, Second Engineer, Acting Chief Engineer and Engineering Manager.
Just one of his notable contributions to the industry was the design of a steel cane bin to improve cane haul capacity from 18 tonnes per trip to 24 tonnes. These bins remain in use and are fondly named ‘Wagner’ bins.
He also played a significant part in the upgrading of the factories crushing rate from 180 tonnes to 250 tonnes per hour.
After retiring from the Broadwater Sugar mill in 2019, Stephen has been able to focus full-time on farming and contributing to the sugar industry by taking on board positions with both the NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative and Sunshine Sugar.
Being a mechanical engineer has equipped Stephen with skills that transfer across both sugar milling and cane farming. One example is the design and fabrication of a 3-row fertilizer box made on farm at a fraction of the retail price that adds significant time and efficiency benefits.
His experience across both the milling and farming operations gives Stephen a broad understanding of the industry that makes him a valuable asset to the board of directors of both the grower-owned NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative and Sunshine Sugar, a 50:50 partnership between NSWSMC and Manildra Group.
Whether it be in the milling or the growing sector, Stephen advocates that the NSW sugar industry is one that rewards people for their hard work. It is also an industry that is continuously innovating and working to improve its social, financial and environmental credentials.
“I have had a wonderful career and raised a family thanks to the NSW sugar industry. I am now in a position to play a role in helping the industry continue to flourish by serving on the Board.
I believe that all the people in the industry working together is what really makes the business flourish.”
[February 2025]