January 16, 2015
Any sceptics doubting Gina Rinehart’s Hope Dairies means business in the South Burnett should check out the corn growing on the Unverzagt family’s Pella Farm near Kumbia.
Robin and Glen Unverzagt have sold two properties to the mega-dairy project and are leasing a third to the company – a total of 850 acres (more than 340ha).
Already corn is sprouting on the leased property which will eventually produce feed for Hope Dairies’ intended herd of 11,000 milkers and 4000 heifers.
Company directors Dave Garcia and Dano Chan visited the Unverzagt properties today, accompanied by Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, Member for Gympie David Gibson and Hope Dairies’ local “man on the ground”, project manager Clint Brereton.
Robin said the family had decided to sell two blocks to Hope Dairies but would be holding on to the third which had been in the family for generations.
“My grandfather brought this block in 1917,” Robin Unverzagt said as he watched the Hope Dairies representatives inspect the emerging crop.
The Unverzagts planted the corn under contract to the dairy group.
Mr Garcia said Hope Dairies planned to construct the largest and most modern dairy of its kind in Australia in Kingaroy.
“It will be a wake-up call to the rest of the industry,” he said.
He said about 4000ha of land had already been purchased in the South Burnett to grow feed, with plans for another 1000ha.
“But we’re holding off for the moment as we may not need it,” he said.
However, there was still a lot of work to do, including seeking planning approval for the construction of dairy sheds and negotiating a water supply to the facility.
Mr Garcia said it would be a fully integrated TMR (total mixed ration) biosecurity farm with Hope Dairies supplying the feed and managing the herd.
The cattle would be kept under cover but would be free to move about.
The milk produced would be processed at a specialist spray drying plant in the Mary Valley into pharmaceutical grade infant formula, with a nutritionist overseeing production.
“This is a first for Australia,” Mr Garcia said.
Mr Garcia said Hope Dairies started developing the project in February 2014 and hoped to be in full production by the third quarter of 2016.
“It will be 100 per cent for export and is all pre-sold … everything we can make,” he said.
Mrs Frecklington said the project meant jobs for local residents, and jobs “back into the agricultural industry”.
It would be a way of attracting young people back into the vital industry of agriculture, she said.
There could also be benefits for local dairy farmers who will also be invited to supply milk to the Mary Valley drying plant, which will also be receiving intakes from farms in the Mary Valley area.
Mr Chan said the project was owned 90 per cent by Australian interests with 10 per cent by the China CAMC Engineering Co.
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