Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I pay tribute to the government's Manufacturing Transition Programme and the positive contribution it makes to Australian manufacturing and the wider community. This programme provides funding to drive investment in new capital equipment and improvements to plant and processes which deliver a growth that builds on Australia's competitive advantage. I am pleased to announce that OneHarvest has secured a $1.775 million grant to develop an innovative way of processing salads that will dramatically increase the quality and safety of salads without the detrimental effect of heat or chemical preservatives traditionally used in production. The grant is part of a $7 million project that will be housed adjacent to the $34 million fresh-cut salad facility that is currently under construction in Smeaton Grange.

This is great news for Macarthur because it will create around 100 new jobs when the plants are fully operational in June 2017. It has provided employment for a variety of tradespeople during the construction and fit-out phase, with 297 tradespeople inducted on the site. I had the pleasure of visiting the site on Friday and was amazed by the scale and ambition of the project. OneHarvest's decision to embark on this project in Smeaton Grange is a ringing endorsement for our region and proves that Macarthur is fast becoming a hub for businesses and industries in south-west Sydney.

OneHarvest has been a leader in fresh produce for three generations, supplying Australian consumers with fresh, healthy and fabulous-tasting fruit and vegetables from across the country. We warmly welcome them to Macarthur. I would like to thank Brenda Walker, General Manager of OneHarvest, for flying down from Queensland at such short notice to meet with me, and Tim Evans, site manager for Wiley, for kindly showing us around the site.