LOCKYER Valley Fruit and Veggie Co-operative CEO Colin Dorber is passionate when he speaks of a journey 13 years in the making.
Mr Dorber told Local Ipswich News in an exclusive that the land for the cannery had officially settled in what was a landmark step for the new chapter in local agriculture and manufacturing.
“We have just settled and bought the land for $5.6 million,” Mr Dorber said.
“We’ve had it independently appraised by three separate appraisers at a value of between $9.6 and $10.6 million.
“The reason we’ve achieved that is because I signed a call option three years ago with the landowner, fixing the price for five years.
“This is the removal of the final obstacle for the build program.
“We anticipate starting operational works within eight weeks.
“Our goal for the cannery is to be partially operational by the end of next year – it’s a five-stage program with a $400 million spend.”
The cannery will serve a greater function than processing of food, aiming to revitalise a once prosperous food bowl in the Lockyer Valley, attracting growers back to the region and keeping them local.
“The existing co-operative is going to work with the cannery, the company itself, on the development of five-by-five-year supply contracts for growers,” Mr Dorber said.
“Something they’ve never had before that will give them certainty, both in terms of investment and product growth.
“Important for us, it’s about also utilising 100% of their crop production.
“Because we will be operating a cannery, a powder line, a juicing line, a frozen line, we will be able to offer to take all of their product.”
Mr Dorber said the sense of vindication harked back to the beginning of the journey.
“When we started, we never dreamt it would take this long, we never dreamt how many people would come to the table and then walk away when we thought we had them over the line,” he said.
“We never realised the general apathy at the political level, with one exception. Shane Neumann, the Member for Blair – he has stood behind us.
“He’s delivered where no other politician has.”
Mr Neumann highlighted the importance of the co-operative and cannery.
“This is bringing manufacturing to the region,” he said.
“It’s really important for us to keep jobs locally – we can’t just end up being a dormitory suburb of Brisbane.
“We’re a city in our own right and a region in our own right.”
