- Cook Government's Value Add Investment Grants support regional economic development and job creation in the Great Southern
- Funding supports Kojonup Feeds to upgrade its stockfeed mill and increase capacity
- Forest Hill Wines grant to boost wine bottling services for Great Southern producers
The Great Southern is set to benefit from two new agribusiness expansion projects, made possible by Cook Government funding.
Kojonup Feeds and Denmark's Forest Hill Wines have been awarded funding in the latest round of the Value Add Investment Grants program, enabling the businesses to take their operations to the next level and creating 10 new regional jobs in the process.
Kojonup Feeds has received a $750,000 grant to support a $2.17 million upgrade and expansion of its stockfeed mill.
As part of the expansion project, Kojonup Feeds will introduce advanced automated manufacturing equipment, improving efficiency and increasing production capacity by 40 per cent.
This will enable Kojonup Feeds to produce an additional 47,000 tonnes of customised stockfeed made from Western Australian grain.
The project also includes the construction of two new silos to enhance storage and distribution capabilities for their expanded production.
Forest Hill Wines has received a $580,000 grant to support a $1.32 million upgrade of the winery's production facilities, including the installation of a state-of-the-art in-house bottling line.
The project will double the company's production capacity and allow Forest Hill Wines to expand the services offered to other winemakers in the region.
Upgrades will also include a new temperature-controlled cool room to enhance wine fermentation processes, allowing premium barrel-fermented wines and innovative wine styles, and expanded on-site storage for packaged wine, helping increase small-batch winemaking opportunities for Forest Hill Wines and its clients.
The grants for Kojonup Feeds and Forest Hill Wines build on the Cook Government's recent $1 million investment in Mt Barker Chicken through the Value Add Investment Grants.
This funding will support the expansion of operations at Mt Barker Chicken's Kendenup facility, creating 20 new jobs across the Great Southern site and its Rockingham value-add location.
Since 2018, more than $152 million in private sector co-investment has been leveraged by $23.8 million-worth of Value Add Investment Grants, creating 1200 jobs across the State.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"Our Government's Value Add Investment Grants support agriculture, food and beverage businesses across the State to expand their value-add and manufacturing operations, providing significant and ongoing flow-on effects for the communities these businesses are a part of.
"These grants create jobs, stimulate further investment and benefit the whole supply chain - from the growers and the producers to the manufacturers, to those who deliver and sell the final products.
"The expansions of Kojonup Feeds and Forest Hill Wines value-add facilities will not only help these businesses to grow their operations but help build opportunities for other businesses in the Great Southern region."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"I am excited about the prospects these Value Add Investment Grants will generate for these Great Southern businesses, as well as the benefits to the wider region.
"These high-value WA Government grants are transformative, providing leverage for a range of businesses in our regions to expand, diversify and pursue opportunities that would not otherwise have been possible."
As stated by Warren-Blackwood MLA Jane Kelsbie:
"The Great Southern has a proud reputation for our premium wines and this investment in Forest Hill Wines is incredible news for the business and the region's wine producers.
"This expansion will create five new full-time positions and support Forest Hill Wines to streamline its production processes and meet the growing demands for their wine and winemaking services."
As stated by Agricultural Region MLC Shelley Payne:
"This significant expansion of Kojonup Feeds will generate five new full-time jobs and provide ongoing economic and career opportunities in our rural areas.
"By increasing local production of high-quality feed, Kojonup Feeds is strengthening the regional supply chain and supporting local grain growers and livestock industry."
