Driving new tourism experiences and agricultural opportunities are the focus of more than $700,000 in grant funding for the South-West region, through the McGowan Government’s Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants program.
The McGowan Government has allocated $23.9 million over four years to the RED grants program, administered by the nine Regional Development Commissions, providing $703,767 to the South-West region in the first round.
Ocean Grown Abalone Ltd will receive $85,000 towards the construction of the $2.7 million Augusta Boat Harbour Seafood Processing Facility for greenlip abalone, which is unique to the South-West region.
The facility will double the company’s production by 2021, providing the potential to expand supply into Chinese and South East Asian markets.
Southern Forests Honey will receive a grant of $150,000 towards the construction of the Colony Concept Honey Centre of Excellence.
The centre will provide a platform for local food and beverage producers to showcase their produce to visitors, while also providing an education experience to visitors about the importance of bees in agriculture in Western Australia.
The Ngilgi Cave Precinct Modernisation Project will receive a $100,000 grant to upgrade visitor facilities, and Busselton Jetty Inc. will receive $75,000 to upgrade the Busselton Underwater Observatory interpretive facilities to enhance the visitor experience.
Thirteen South-West projects will receive RED grants, with grants in other regions to be announced in coming weeks.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
“The South-West region is WA’s largest regional tourism destination, and our Government is working hard to support new tourism opportunities – by injecting more funding into the local economy.
“Primary industries have been a mainstay for the region’s economy, and new projects like the Augusta seafood processing facility and honey facility in the South-West show the bright future for this industry.
“By investing in a variety of regional initiatives, the McGowan Government is helping to grow Western Australia’s regional areas into thriving and sustainable communities.”
South-West RED grant recipients
| Applicant | Project | Funding |
| Southern Forests Honey | The Colony Concept | $150,000 |
| Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association | Ngilgi Cave Precinct Modernisation Project | $100,000 |
| Ocean Grown Abalone Limited | Augusta Boat Harbour Seafood Processing Facility | $85,000 |
| City of Bunbury | Connecting Bunbury Geographe | $76,510 |
| Busselton Jetty Incorporated | Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory Interpretation Upgrade | $75,000 |
| Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Incorporated | Dolphin Centre Leveraged Marketing | $44,000 |
| Maker and Co Collective Pty Ltd | Maker Program 2019 | $40,300 |
| Australia’s South West Inc. | Great South West Edge Touring Route | $40,000 |
| Geographe French Australian Festivals Inc. | CinefestOZ Film Festival – enhancement and growth | $35,000 |
| Jazz by the Bay Association | Jazz by the Bay Festival – Arts Business Development consultant | $26,392 |
| Arts Margaret River | Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival | $14,000 |
| The Nannup Music Club Inc. | Brockman St Venue Development | $12,470 |
| Festival of Busselton Incorporated | Festival of Busselton 2019 | $5,095 |
