Food Innovation front of mind for Shire of Murray

The state-of-the-art facility will foster industry innovation to drive growth and export and is currently under construction within Transform Peel’s Peel Business Park in Nambeelup.

Shire of Murray President Cr David Bolt says the Precinct has been designed to inspire Western Australian growers and producers, to build a robust and vibrant food and beverage manufacturing sector.

“The precinct will broaden Western Australia’s economic base by competitively positioning food and beverage product development and production primarily for international markets. 

“A common trend in today’s economy sees enterprises operating independently, with limited access to infrastructure or research and product development support.

“The precinct will be a place where small-to-medium enterprises, research and development institutions, wider industry players including international Agri-Innovation firms and government entities can test, research and develop their products for market.

“The Australian food and beverage sector is a major economic contributor, generating close to $30 billion in export value and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“Building upon this base is vital for Australia’s future sustainability and security and provides a growing opportunity to support Murray and other regional communities and expand our economies.

“The precinct will therefore focus on growing WA’s capacity to manufacture more of its food product locally. It will also assist in building international demand for local brands among consumers willing to pay for quality, premium WA products,” Cr Bolt said.

The Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct will comprise a research and development facility, production building and innovation centre which by mid to end 2022, will house Agri-Food research and development experts, innovative start-ups, business services related to trade and markets and a one-stop common-use food technology facility.

“The precinct will explore the creation of a unique brand, trademark and relevant industry certification, which will draw activity to become the one-stop shop for the agri-food community in Western Australia,” Cr Bolt continued.

While physically located in the Peel region, a hub-and-spokes model will be established and digital infrastructure will be used to connect and engage with other agri-food regions.

“Economic modelling indicates that the Precinct could increase Western Australia’s food and beverage sector output between one and three per cent in the first five years of operation.

“This equates to between 17 and 51 new food businesses delivering benefits to the state’s economy, including growth in its food and beverage sector output by between $110 million and $330 million, injection of between $245 million and $737 million in other economic sectors, direct job creation of between 169 and 506 jobs and indirect job creation of between 323 and 977 jobs,” Cr Bolt said.

The Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct has just hit an important construction milestone and has now passed the halfway mark, with the area well and truly beginning to take shape.

Already we will have OatUP oat milk distributed in Singapore and six alternative protein companies are busy working with industry experts improving business planning and developing products, with four exploring collaborations with ASEAN entities.  

Learn more about the Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct or contact Precinct General Manager Dr. Chris Vas on 61 8 9531 7777 or at wafip@murray.wa.gov.au.

The Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct is supported by $21.75 million from the Federal Government’s Regional Growth Fund.