Kalbar vegetable farming company, Kalfresh, has secured the State Government green light to embark a $291 million project to build an agricultural value-adding precinct in hopes of turning plants and food waste into green power, green gas and biofertilizer.
The Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct (SRAIP) will be established on a 40ha site, neighbouring Kalfresh’s existing operation on the Cunningham Highway near Kalbar.
This precinct may benefit Beaudesert’s local and surrounding producers with the expectation that the green energy project will have wide-reaching positive impacts on the Scenic Rim community.
“I can say with confidence that the plan that has been adopted will provide a bright and exciting future for agriculture in our region,” Kalfresh CEO Richard Gorman said.
“While this project has been imagined and driven by Kalfresh, it is much bigger than us. It’s about future-proofing agriculture in south-east Queensland by returning manufacturing to the region and creating new diversified products and markets for the crops we grow.”
It will feature 16 industrial lots for the value-adding and advanced manufacturing of food, beverages and fibre products, and will approximately create 1000 new construction and operational jobs.
“We’re building on the best part of the area, which is agriculture and growing good food,” Kalfresh Founding Director Rob Hinrichsen said.
“New businesses establishing in the Precinct will lead to new secure, skilled job opportunities. Suddenly, you’ll have higher skilled people coming here to work, or maybe getting skilled and staying in the area – that’s rural development at its core.”
Scenic Rim Mayor Cr Tom Sharp says food waste is an enormous economic issue that demands urgent solutions.
“Each year, an astonishing one billion tonnes of food is wasted globally – enough to feed 1.2 billion people,” Mr Sharp said.
“As the world grapples with these mounting challenges of food waste and the need for sustainable energy sources, innovative solutions are emerging, and right here in the Scenic Rim, we are doing our bit as global citizens,” Mr Sharp said.
This new development provides a pathway to release the diversified opportunities for agriculture, new jobs, and electricity and fuel made from agricultural waste.
