The Sunshine Coast’s reputation as a food and beverage hub is set to take off with the announcement of funding for a world-first manufacturing facility.
The Federal Government on Wednesday promised $33.4 million towards the $112.8 million ‘Turbine Precinct’ which will be operational by 2023.
The 20,000sqm purpose-built centre located at Sunshine Coast Airport will become Australia’s leading industry-based food and beverage research and commercialisation facility.
The state-of-the-art precinct will provide end-to-end support for local food and drink businesses in a shared and collaborative environment.
Businesses will be able to use its warehousing and logistics, an education and training centre, research and development capabilities and collaborative high-tech manufacturing facility.
The unique location at the airport will also give direct access to new export opportunities from the expanded international runway.
Federal Member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien said the funding would not only get the project off the ground but become a catalyst for further industry investment.
“This massive investment will transform the local food and beverage sector and will create a stronger future for the Sunshine Coast — built on a stronger economy,” Mr O’Brien said.
“This end-to-end collaborative food and beverage precinct is a world-first, and it will provide lucrative opportunities for businesses at all stages and all sizes to build, scale and export, all under one roof.”
“But it’s not just business that benefits. This will create lifelong careers for local people.”
“From food technologists to designers and engineers, the TURBINE Precinct will create hundreds of highly skilled careers for locals within an industry where the Sunshine Coast will be among the best in the world.”
By teaming up with the University of the Sunshine Coast, the first-of-its-kind embedded training centre will also help the next generation secure future roles in food science, transport and logistics, and hospitality.
It’s expected the project will create 131 new jobs during construction and support 687 once operational, with $200 million in economic benefits delivered for the Australian economy each year.
The Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) has led the project locally in partnership with the Queensland Drinks Accelerator, the Sunshine Coast Airport and other project partners including Lyre’s Spirit co, Doehler, the University of the Sunshine Coast and TAFE Queensland.
Emma Greenhatch, CEO of FAN, said the Federal Government’s investment would immediately unlock more than $58 million in private investment to develop stage one of the project.
“Eighty-seven per cent of Australia’s food and agribusiness industry are small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“Turbine will change the way we support these businesses to innovate and scale, through its advanced manufacturing capability and embedded services including R&D and education and training.
“In addition to enabling co-located manufacturers to scale faster by significantly reducing establishment and operating costs, Turbine will provide a streamlined pathway to commercialisation for other food and beverage businesses from across Queensland and beyond, from start-ups through to export.”
Industry Minister Angus Taylor said the Sunshine Coast was home to incredibly innovative food and beverage products.
“Food and beverage manufacturing is the largest manufacturing sector for the Australian economy. One in four people employed in manufacturing are employed in our food and beverage sector and it contributes $27.5 billion to our economy,” Minister Taylor said.
“This funding will support some of the most innovative producers leverage technology to increase their production, while meeting growing export demand and creating new local jobs across the region and beyond through this world-class airport precinct.”
Funding for the Turbine Collaborative Food and Beverage Manufacturing Precinct was secured under the Collaboration Stream of the Morrison Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative.
