Wheatbelt projects in manufacturing, agriculture and tourism that drive jobs in the region have been given a boost through the McGowan Government’s Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants program.
Eight projects across the Wheatbelt will share in $690,000 through Round Two of the RED grants as part of the McGowan Government’s $28.8 million funding commitment over five years to stimulate regional economies.
Bruce Rock Engineering will receive $150,000 towards the construction of a new workshop to streamline manufacturing and increase production capacity to meet the growing demand for engineered products such as trailers and dollys. The expansion of the business will create new local training and job opportunities.
Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management was awarded $75,000 to train the Noongar Budjar Rangers to collect, treat and store native seed for local revegetation, with the long-term goal of developing an independent community-run enterprise.
Goomalling agricultural company Rowles Agricultural has been allocated $100,000 to support the construction of processing facilities for a new business – WA Craft Malt. The business will produce a variety of heritage malt for the niche Western Australian craft brewing and distilling industries using local sustainably grown barley.
The Jurien Bay Chamber of Commerce will direct $100,000 towards construction of a bridge to extend the Turquoise Way Path across Hill River, boosting sports tourism in Jurien Bay and Cervantes, and providing opportunities for new business ventures such as bike hire and repair.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
“The McGowan Government is investing in new projects across the Wheatbelt to increase local manufacturing capability, drive innovative new agricultural opportunities and showcase the region through tourism.
“The Wheatbelt is our State’s biggest agricultural production region, so it is vital that we continue to support projects that grow our agricultural industry and provide opportunities to diversify, value-add, and seek new markets for our products.
“Supporting manufacturing projects like Bruce Rock Engineering’s workshop helps to create long-term jobs in Wheatbelt towns, encouraging young trainees to live and work in the region.”
Successful RED grants projects for the Wheatbelt region
| Applicant | Project | Funding |
| Bruce Rock Engineering (DBK Enterprise Pty Ltd) | Bruce Rock Engineering Workshop – Construction of a new workshop to streamline manufacturing operations and expand the capacity to meet the growing demand for trailers and dollys in the region. | $150,000 |
| Rowles Agricultural Company | WA Craft Malt – to support the construction of processing facilities for a new Wheatbelt enterprise. WA Craft Malt to produce a variety of heritage malt for the Western Australian craft brewing and distilling industries using locally grown barley. | $100,000 |
| Kochii Eucalyptus Oil Pty Ltd | Mature tree harvesting and production – to purchase and develop equipment for a second processing unit to harvest mature Mallee trees to produce Eucalyptus oil. | $100,000 |
| Jurien Bay Chamber of Commerce | Turquoise Way Path – Hill River Crossing – towards construction of a bridge to extend the Turquoise Way Path across Hill River, boosting sports tourism in Jurien Bay and Cervantes, and providing opportunities for new business ventures such as bike hire and repair. The current path stretches 14.2km along the coast from the Jurien Bay Marina to the Hill River Mouth and is used mainly for bike riding, walking, running and skating. | $100,000 |
| Great Southern Seed Works (Johnson Family Trust) | Enhanced small seed and poultry feed ration production – to purchase and install equipment to enable the production of new bagged stock and poultry feed products and processing of new grains such as millet, sunflower seed, linseed and red panicum creating a niche value-added market. | $90,000 |
| Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management | Wheatbelt Seed Solutions – to support the Noongar Budjar Rangers to build capacity of the team to collect, treat and store native seed for revegetation projects including farmer, carbon, local government and community groups, with the long-term goal of developing an independent community run enterprise. | $75,000 |
| Caternet Pty Ltd | Development of packaged dry goods processing facility – to assist in the establishment of a processing plant at Brookton to manufacture innovative, healthy, fun and convenient packed dry food mixes that utilise fruit, vegetables and grains products produced in the Wheatbelt. | $50,000 |
| Marvick Native Farms (Mogumber Dirt Pty Ltd) | Australian native food and botanical planting material project for the Wheatbelt and WA – to develop facilities for the production of Australian native food and botanical planting material specifically for commercial production of fruit, vegetables and botanicals in the Wheatbelt and other areas of WA. | $25,000 |
