The Hon. Jackie Jarvis MLC Minister for Agriculture and Food; Small Business was joined in the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia by Hon. Don Punch MLA, Minister for Regional Development; Disability Services; Fisheries; Seniors and Ageing, Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC, Member for the South West Region, Robyn Clarke MLA, Member for Murray-Wellington, Cr David Bolt, Shire President Shire of Murray, David Doepel, Peel Development Commission Chair, Prof. Andrew Deeks, Murdoch University Vice Chancellor and Dr Tash Teakle, Future Food Systems CRC FTF Project Management Group.
The Shire of Murray’s Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia
(FIPWA) has been officially opened heralding the formal start to activities
in the agrifood centre.
The state-of-the-art precinct- known
as ‘Mereny Bidi Boodja’ which means ‘food, pathway, land/country’ in the local
Noongar language- is an ecosystem for innovation in the agriculture and food
spaces. It is made up of a food and beverage production centre with a food
technology facility, an Innovation Centre and a Research and Development
Centre.
Owned by the Shire of Murray, the
precinct was built with a $21.75 million grant from the Australian Government,
and has attracted further significant investment from the State Government to
establish a common-use Food Technology Facility within the precinct.
FIPWA
was formally opened by the Hon. Jackie Jarvis MLC, Minister for Agriculture and
Food; Forestry; Small Business and the Hon. Don Punch, Minister for Regional
Development.
Anchor partners already using the
precinct include:
·
Murdoch University, whose Food
Science and Nutrition campus at the precinct establishes a world-class
destination for food professionals and researchers committed to advancing
knowledge and production of food that is both good to eat and good for you.
Murdoch University is using the facility in collaboration with the national
research, industry and Government consortium, the Future Food Systems
Cooperative Research Centre, for projects that help businesses to satisfy increasing
demand for sustainably produced products.
·
The GrowHub, a Singapore-based
innovation business supporting Western Australian food and agricultural
businesses access international markets
·
Spinifex Brewing Company, who
champion Indigenous culture through infusing native Indigenous botanicals into
craft beers.
There has been widespread
business interest in the Food Innovation
Precinct WA since its development and the complex is open to interested
parties throughout WA, interstate and overseas from the commercial, public and
academic domains to advance and accelerate agrifood, food, and beverage
innovations aiming to capture new market demand.
Cr David Bolt, President of the
Shire of Murray said “The opening of the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia
is a landmark moment for the Shire of Murray, and is the culmination of a huge
effort by a large number of people over many years. I am grateful to our
hardworking Shire staff, supportive
Council, the Australian and State Government, and key industry partners who
shared the Shire’s vision and worked collaboratively to bring this innovative
centre to fruition.”
Speaking at the launch the Hon.
Jackie Jarvis MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Forestry; Small Business
said “The precinct provides world-class facilities, equipment and
expertise to test, trial and explore options, providing businesses with the
confidence to pursue commercialisation and launch their products to the world –
creating benefits throughout the supply chain.”