- Published:
- Wednesday 2 December 2015
The Andrews Labor Government has attracted and secured a $120 million investment by one of the world’s leading dairy producers and manufacturers. Fonterra will expand its major cheese manufacturing facility, safeguarding 120 existing jobs and generating an additional 30 jobs.
Touring the facility in Stanhope today, Minister for Regional Development, Jaala Pulford, said the expansion project was a major vote of confidence in regional Victoria and its booming dairy industry.
The Government has worked closely with Fonterra Australia to attract and facilitate the investment, securing the overall project.
Fonterra is one of the world’s leading dairy producers and manufacturers, operating 10 manufacturing sites across Australia, five of which are located in regional Victoria. The Stanhope cheese facility suffered damage due to fire in December 2014, which halted hard cheese production at the site.
The $120 million modernisation and expansion project will include:
- demolishing and and rebuilding the fire damaged hard cheese plant
- installing modern processing equipment to increase the production of hard cheeses
- building and installing a modern mozzarella cheese manufacturing facility
- re-instating whey production for the increased plant capacity.
This major investment supports the economic viability of Stanhope and the associated dairy farming sector into the future. It will also bring additional economic benefits with some 75 construction jobs during the 18 month building and commissioning phases, representing $10 million in wages and salaries.
Through the $500 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, the Government is supporting projects across regional and rural Victoria that will build critical infrastructure, create jobs, invest in communities and support new and emerging industries.
Quotes attributable to Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford
“Fonterra’s significant investment in their Stanhope facility is a major vote of confidence in Victoria’s dairy industry and confirms regional Victoria’s reputation as a great place to do business.”
“This project is a great example of our Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund in action. The Victorian Government is committed to supporting projects that create jobs and strengthen regional Victoria”
“Victoria’s $2.4 billion dairy industry represents 85 per cent of the nation’s dairy exports and projects like this are an exceptional example of what Victoria has to offer the world.”