- Thirteen Wheatbelt projects share more than $925,000 in Regional Economic Development grant funding
- McGowan Government investing in regional job creation and diversification in agribusiness and tourism
The McGowan Government is backing local industry in the Wheatbelt region in the latest round of the Regional Economic Development (RED) grants.
Thirteen projects have been supported to share in $925,587 in Round 3 grants to help create new jobs and expand local businesses in the region.
Three Farmers Australia will use its $95,000 grant towards cultivating a high value, niche market for low gluten oats by developing quality assurance and storage protocols to grow and process the grain. This will increase the business' productivity and create a value-added market for farmers.
A $42,500 grant will assist the Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Boya Business Solutions to deliver training to upskill Aboriginal enterprises, procuring agencies and corporate entities to compete for contracts. Training will include aspects of administration, information technology and marketing.
West Hills Farm will use its $100,000 to purchase a new carrot prepacking machine to increase capacity and generate more than 12 jobs, while WA Sandalwood Plantation's $100,000 grant will purchase mobile tree chipping equipment, boosting efficiencies and creating 46 jobs in the next four years.
The latest announcement of funds is in addition to the $1.3 million approved for 15 projects in the Wheatbelt from the previous two rounds of RED grants.
The McGowan Government has committed an additional $5 million to extend the initiative for another year - with a total of $33.8 million directed to RED grants over six years for projects that will directly benefit regional communities.
Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
"The extraordinary range of applicants in this year's REDs has shown that our regions are front and centre in WA's economic bounce-back.
"These exciting projects cover a range of diverse initiatives in the region, from tourism and agriculture to Aboriginal employment projects. Many of the grant recipients are pioneering new industries, including low gluten oats, passionfruit, goat dairy products, dates and eucalyptus oil.
"We look forward to seeing these projects up and running, bringing local employment and longer term benefits to local communities."
Minister's office - 6552 6200
Successful Round 3 RED grant projects for the Wheatbelt:
| Applicant | Project | Funding |
| AGRIFresh | Passionfruit farm establishment - towards nursery infrastructure to assist in the diversification of the horticultural products produced in the region. | $100,000 |
| West Hills Farm | Carrot prepacker - to install a new carrot prepacking machine on the Lancelin farm to pack produce on site, creating supply-chain efficiencies and reducing transport costs. | $100,000 |
| Coorinja Vineyard | Function centre and accommodation - to build a kitchen and dining room to diversify and expand the Toodyay winery and increase agri-food tourism opportunities in the area. | $100,000 |
| WA Sandalwood Plantations | Woodchip value-adding - to purchase, test and optimise mobile tree chipping equipment across a number of Wheatbelt locations in order to improve product value and efficiencies. | $100,000 |
| Main Camp WA | Waslee Downs North deep water bore - to establish a bore on the Badgingarra property to irrigate eucalyptus plants destined for the global essential oil market. | $100,000 |
| Julimar Date Garden | Agri-tourism venture - to construct a processing facility and front-of-house to enable product to be processed, packaged and sold creating a unique agri-food tourism offering in the region. | $100,000 |
| Three Farmers Australia | Low gluten oats supply chain - to develop a grain storage and quality assurance protocol to expand the products and productivity of the Narrogin business whilst also providing a value-added market for farmers. | $95,000 |
| Bencubbin Truck N Auto's | Business expansion - to build a purpose-built shed for a drive through truck bay increasing the productivity of the business and meeting demand for their services. | $50,000 |
| DromeDairy Australia | Sustainable Mobile Camel Dairy - to transition a camel dairy from a fixed to a mobile milking system that is modular, cost effective and sustainable. | $47,000 |
| The Healthy Chocolate Company | Artisan bean to bar chocolate - to purchase specialised equipment to produce chocolate and panned confectionary using locally grown produce. | $45,000 |
| Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Boya Business Solutions - to offer a program that will increase capacity and competitiveness of Aboriginal businesses in the region tendering for private and public contracts. | $42,500 |
| Shire of Koorda | NEWROC* Microgrid - for technical and engineering designs to assist NEWROC in attracting funding for a microgrid to improve power reliability and supply to households and businesses in Bencubbin. | $27,500 |
| Avon Valley Chevre | Artisan dairy products - to purchase a cryovac machine and cheese kettle to enable the production of goat cheese and dairy products in Toodyay. | $18,587 |
* NEWROC - North Eastern Wheatbelt Regional Organisation of Councils comprised of the shires of Dowerin, Koorda, Mount Marshall, Mukinbudin, Trayning, Nungarin and Wyalkatchem.
