A new industry is brewing for Tasmania with FermenTas' Australian-first Fermentation Hub starting to take shape at Legana, following a $1.7 million grant from the Tasmanian Government.
The grant is part of the Government's 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, which is supporting businesses across the State.
Deputy Premier, Michael Ferguson, said the new facility would offer exciting opportunities for new or growing Tasmanian businesses.
"FermenTas has been doing a lot of work to establish this new Fermentation Hub to grow this industry by introducing businesses to the sector and helping to develop new businesses," Mr Ferguson said.
"It's why we committed to backing this project during the election with a grant of $1.7 million to fund fit-out and equipping of this purpose-built facility.
"It will become a centre of excellence and one of knowledge-sharing, ideas and passion for finding the next big thing, be it a beer, a cider, a kombucha or a kimchi," he said.
Minister for Education, Jo Palmer, said the hub will generate a range of benefits from new businesses and products to new training and career options, export growth to waste reduction.
"This hub will be a place for new businesses and new products, a centre for hands-on learning for trainees and apprentices to gain recognised qualifications and a hub for great ideas and know-how to be shared," Ms Palmer said.
"There are already around 94 jobs being supported locally through the design and construction of the facility and we expect it to support a number of ongoing roles once it is fully operational.
"Excitingly, we hope that FermenTas achieves another of its stated goals of the fermentation hub project, creating new career paths not offered in Tasmania before, giving more young Tasmanians more reasons to stay here rather than losing them interstate.
"An added benefit of this exciting project is the reduction of food waste with produce that would previously have no value being value added.
"With construction set for completion in the coming months we look forward to seeing the new Tasmanian Fermentation Hub becoming an internationally recognised centre of excellence," she said.
