A new flour mill in Ballarat is set to create hundreds of jobs.(Unsplash:Immo Wegmann)
A major investment by one of the largest food manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand is creating a jobs boost in Ballarat.
George Weston Foods will invest$132.9 million to build a newflour mill in the Ballarat West Employment Zone.
It will create 174 new jobs in Victoria and transfer 46 jobs from an existing flour mill in North Melbourne to Ballarat, with an additional320 jobs during the mill'sconstruction.
George Weston Foodsis known for big brands includingDon smallgoods, Abbotts, and Tip Top bread.
Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Martin Pakula, said the state government has financially assisted the project, but refused to reveal the value of that investment.
George Weston Foodsis also broadening its horizons in other areas of regional Victoria bycreating a new national Tip Top boutique bakery in Bendigo and upgrading its Don KRC business in Castlemaine to grow exports.
State-of-the-art mill
Member for WendoureeJuliana Addison,chief executiveofGeorge Weston Foods, Stuart Grainger, andMinister for Industry Support and Recovery, Martin Pakula, announcing the new mill.(ABC Rural: Jane McNaughton)
Chief executiveofGeorge Weston Foods,Stuart Grainger, said he is striving for the new mill to be the most environmentally sustainable of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
The mill itself is going to be absolutely state-of-the-art in terms of very low power usage, ultra efficient processing. Literally, I don't think there is anything like it, he said.
It'll have a footprint that will be significantly better than anything else ofits type.
There won't be any waste. Anything that's not used for human food will go to animal feed.
MrGrainger saidthe ingredients sourced to make the company's bread and baked goods were almost exclusively from Victorian farms.
We are excited to be investing in the future of sustainable agriculture and food production in Victoria, he said.
The state is certainly a centre for thefood industry — for availability of ingredients, people, and customers.
New event spaces for Sovereign Hill
MrPakula'svisit to Ballarat also included a stop to the region's largest tourist attraction, Sovereign Hill.
Against the backdrop of the attraction's famous gold panning precinct, $6 million was announced to build new cultural and event spaces under the state government's Regional Tourism Investment Fund.
Sovereign Hill’s famous gold panning precinct is set to be rejuvenated(ABC News: LexieJeuniewic)
Among the new spaces will be the Waterside andWadawurrungCultural Precinct, which will encourage visitors to learn about traditional owners.
Up to 69 construction jobs and 11 ongoing employment positions will be created from the two-year project, due for completion by mid-2024.
This investment is a real vote in confidence in Sovereign Hill's future, MrPakulasaid.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-05-20/flour-mill-in-ballarat-to-create-hundreds-of-jobs/101085222
