By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Futuristic $320m farming investment unveiled
A PROPOSED $320 million sustainable vegetable farm at Avalon will create more than 1000 jobs for Geelong, according to its proponents.
Sustainable Farms has proposed the project for a 150-hectare site on Old Melbourne Rd, near the Princes Fwy.
The high-tech facility will feature the largest glasshouses in the Southern Hemisphere, using renewable energy from recycling waste products.
Sustainable Farms spokesperson Barry Dungey said the project needed State Government support to “fast track” Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and planning approvals.
“The consortium is ready to deliver jobs and economic growth for the Geelong community but we require the planning process for this development to be completed in a timely manner.
“We are financially ready to start a detailed planning submission, have completed preliminary due diligence and are in detailed discussions with major retailers of fresh produce.
“However, without commitments to likely planning approval timeframes, we cannot enter firm commitments with our customers to supply.”
Geelong Mayor Darryn Lyons congratulated the consortium on its decision to invest in Geelong.
“This is a great endorsement of Geelong and our ideal proximity to road, rail and sea transport, providing easy access to interstate and export markets.
“I wholeheartedly support the fast-tracking of this development to enable Sustainable Farms to be operational in 2015.
“This is a massive development that’s totally in line with Geelong’s future as a smart 21st Century city and injecting $160 million into the local economy each year by 2021.”
Read the full story in this week’s Geelong Independent.
