Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the House of a home-grown local business success story that has become an icon on the Sunshine Coast. Employing 50 locals and producing 190,000 litres of fresh Maleny milk weekly, Ross and Sally Hopper and their team at Maleny Dairies have grown their business 74 per cent over the past six months and are now investing another $4.1 million in their plant and equipment to meet the demand.

While Maleny Dairies is riding a wave of sustained success, it was formed out of necessity in the face of the deregulation of the industry 16 years ago. Great-grandfather Hopper purchased the land in 1948. In 2000 the dairy industry was facing an uncertain future, with deregulation forcing thousands of farmers around Australia to close down their farms. This impacted significantly upon Queensland and Western Australian dairies.

Maleny Dairies bucked the trend and grew into a sustainable business. It began sourcing local milk from other farmers in the district. By owning their plant and equipment, Maleny Dairies are able to pay a higher rate per litre of milk, enabling each farmer to keep their cattle healthy and their family farms viable. Today Maleny Dairies has partnerships with eight farms in the region that supply their milk for processing into Maleny Dairies products. I congratulate the Hopper family for their vision and their willingness to take a risk and invest their own money in a venture that is benefiting our broader local community. (Time expired)