P.PSH.1268 - Feasibility for Development of a Red Meat and Food Innovation Centre

Summary

Australian Country Choice (ACC) proposes to undertake a master planning exercise over the ACC processing site located at Murrarie, Queensland, to create profitability from optimal land use. This includes the feasibility of development of a centralised food innovation centre for red meat companies to access for rapid assessment of new technologies, products and processes to meet customers' needs.

Objectives

The overall objective of this project is to undertake a feasibility study for the development of an innovation centre on site at the ACC site located at Murarrie, Queensland for red meat and food companies to access (under a toll contract arrangement) to evaluate new technologies, processes, packaging and products.

Key findings

The expected outcome is an assessment of the feasibility to co-locate a red meat processing and food innovation centre on site, with state-of-the-art innovative processing and packaging technologies, at a current raw meats production operation (in SE Queensland).

Benefits to industry

This project involves a detailed scoping assessment of the feasibility to co-locate a red meat processing and food innovation centre on site, with state-of-the-art innovative processing and packaging technologies, at a current raw meats production operation (in SE Queensland). The outcome of the project will be to produce an ACC confidential report to be delivered with technical support by the providers. A public final report that will be approved by MLA and ACC for industry release to be published on the MLA website.

MLA action

Develop a cost recovery plan for on-going annual expenses to be developed as a component of the final proposal.

Future research

Following completion of the Feasibility Study and subsequent findings, a business proposal will be drafted for pitch to Executive Management to grant approval to proceed with the chosen option.

It is intended that the proposal will include opportunity for external co-funding of the facility from the respective RDC’s over a three-year term with a lease model. In addition, a cost recovery plan for on-going annual expenses will developed as a component of the proposal.