Closest To The Reef & Committed To The Land Meet the Family Behind the Closest Operating Banana Plantation to the Great Barrier Reef

Steve Lizzo, Richelle Miles and their sons, Silas and Micah, have spent the past decade growing MBL Bananas into one of the Cassowary Coast's leading banana farms. Photo supplied

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Just 50 metres from their home sits the farm that has become Steve Lizzo and Richelle Miles' life's work — a 150-acre banana plantation believed to be the closest operating banana farm to the Great Barrier Reef.

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The couple purchased MBL Bananas a decade ago and have since transformed the property into one of the region's leading banana producers through a focus on sustainability, soil health and innovation.

For Steve, banana farming has always been in his blood. He grew up just 15 kilometres away in Silkwood, working on his family's property, Liverpool Rivers Bananas. Richelle, originally from New Zealand, studied zoology before becoming an agronomist. After the pair met in 2016 and moved to Mission Beach, they discovered their new home backed onto a banana farm.

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It was a perfect fit.

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"Over the next few years we just put work and effort into slowly building it up, slowly improving soil health, increasing organic matter," Richelle said.

Steve said Mission Beach had a rich history as one of Australia's premier banana-growing regions.

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"About 40 - 50 years ago Mission Beach was the largest growing region for Australian Banana's," he said.

"We've got the opportunity to take over some beautiful land... and we're farming some original banana plantations that have existed for over 40 - 50 years. So that's been pretty special."

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Today, MBL Bananas employs around 30 staff and operates seven days a week, year-round. The farm produces approximately 40 tonnes of bananas each week, equating to more than 2,000 tonnes annually.

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Operations are divided into two key stages. Before harvest, crews work in the paddocks planting, weeding, pruning and harvesting banana bunches. Once picked, the fruit is transported to the packing shed, where another team prepares it for distribution across Australia.

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Mission Beach's tropical microclimate provides ideal growing conditions, but the weather can also present significant challenges.

"So when we get 6 inches of natural weather that comes down we also get the other bit from the subdivision [next door] racing through our farm which can do a lot of damage, you can lose up to 2 or 3 tones of dirt in one night," Steve said.

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To combat erosion and protect the surrounding environment, the couple has invested in water management infrastructure across the property.

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"It then flows into two ponds which acts as a sediment trap, so any soil that is running off from heavy rainfall goes into the ponds and then the soil settles and the clean water on top runs off," Richelle said.

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Their commitment to environmental stewardship has not gone unnoticed. In 2023, MBL Bananas received a major industry award recognising excellence in environmental best management practices, cementing its reputation as one of the region's leading banana producers.

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For Steve and Richelle, the award reflects years of dedication to caring for both the land and the industry that has shaped their lives.

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