SA regions to receive investment boost

The funding will see the delivery of 16 projects across the state worth tens of millions of dollars, including a state-of-the-art potato washing and packing facility in the Mallee and an innovative project to help future-proof SA's wine industry.

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister David Basham, who announced the successful projects at Yalumba Nursery at the Barossa Valley, said this stimulus funding will help SA's economy bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.

"2020 has been a tough year for South Australians and our regions have been hit particularly hard firstly with drought, then bushfires and now the coronavirus pandemic," he said.

"We had more than 200 applications for the Strategic Business Round and the successful projects are shovel-ready and will have lasting, widespread benefits for South Australia's regions.

"In good news for other applicants, there is still more funding available from the Regional Growth Fund and some of the remaining projects from this round are still being considered."

Yalumba Family Winemakers were one of the successful grant recipients and they will deliver a $2m project, which has the potential to future proof SA's wine industry.

Chief viticulturist Robin Nettelbeck said Yalumba Family Winemakers would establish an extensive and intensively managed high health grapevine germplasm collection, quarantined nuclear collection and a large-scale grapevine production field nursery.

"This project will establish the highest health and most genetically diverse commercial collection of grapevine material in Australia, while establishing the most hygienic and productive field nursery site to propagate best performing vines for the Australian viticultural industry," Mr Nettelbeck said.

"Australia, and SA in particular, has some of the oldest vines in the world and during last summer's bushfires it was devastating to see how quickly some of these were destroyed.

"Our project can effectively act as a seed bank and contribute to the future proofing of the $45-billion Australian wine industry and provide valuable support to the growing domestic table grape industry."

The state government has committed $150m over 10 years through the Regional Growth Fund to support regional SA as part of the Recharging Our Regions policy.

The 16 successful projects are a combination of 13 projects from a once-off stimulus round of the Regional Growth Fund and three projects from Round Three.

Applicants to the Regional Growth Fund were eligible to seek grants from $50,000 up to $2m, with projects given preference if they can demonstrate a greater private-to-government funding ratio and demonstrable strong economic outcomes.

The applications were assessed by an independently chaired panel, and advice was recommended based on how well they aligned to the criteria of this Fund. There is still $7.7m in funding available in the Regional Growth Fund with further applicants from the stimulus round being considered from the Strategic Business Round.

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

Parilla Premium Potatoes, Mallee - New potato washing & packing facility - funding sought $2m, total project investment $35.7m;

Yumbah Hatchery, Port Lincoln - Establish a 'spat bank' to future proof oyster spat supply & selective breeding programs - funding sought $400,000, total project investment $1.17m;

Gadaleta Steel Fabrication, Port Pirie - Purchase & install automated steel processing machinery, lifting production capacity from 50t/week to 200-300t/week - funding sought $2m, total project investment $4.5m;

T Musolino & Co, Northern Adelaide Plains - New climate-controlled food processing facility - funding sought $515,000, total project investment $1.515m;

SABOR Limited, Clare - Shed expansion and enhanced biosecurity secure facility, housing164 boars for semen collection - funding sought $440,000, total project investment $987,570;

Yalumba Family Winemakers, Riverland and Barossa Valley - Establish a high health grapevine germplasm collection and field nursery development - funding sought $1.065m, total project investment $2.130m;

Berri Hotel Inc, Riverland - Construction of additional 20 rooms to the Berri Resort Hotel, and landscaping - funding sought $1.5m, total project investment $7.092m;

Torrens Valley Orchards, Riverland - Install fully automated overhead sprinkler system to expand cultivation area & respond to climate impacts - funding sought $170,000, total project investment $377,695;

Torrens Valley Orchards, Adelaide Hills - Install additional packaging equipment to provide small volume, high value contact free products - funding sought $141,890, total project investment $333,780;

Kangaroo Island Free Range Eggs, KI - Construction of new production facilities with three temperature controlled areas, dry storage, packaging area and new transport loading areas - funding sought $437,795, total project investment $875,470;

South East Pine Sales, Mount Gambier - Automated biomass steam generation plant for wood drying, additional 980m3 capacity - funding sought $88,670, total project investment $295,565;

Wirra Wirra Vineyards, McLaren Vale - Wirra Wirra commercial kitchen expansion to support 'Harry's Deli' - funding sought $225,875, total project investment $573,750;

Woodhouse Activity Centre, Adelaide Hills - Woodhouse Activity Centre expansion and fire protection (last resort bushfire refuge) project - funding sought $395,743, total project investment $791,485;

Ferretti International, Whyalla - The project will create a state-of-the-art steel processing facility in Whyalla supporting Ferretti and partners in their requirements for low cost processed steel to support future expansions - funding sought $2m, total project investment $8m;

District Council of Karoonda East Murray, Murray Mallee - Karoonda business industrial park growth project to fast track power and water installation at the industrial park - funding sought $125,000, total project investment $270,000;

Eyre Peninsula Ocean Jackets Fishing Cluster, Port Lincoln - Upgrade the existing processing room at Mori Seafoods with new equipment to receive, process, retail pack and export Ocean Jacket fillets - funding sought $740,000, total project investment $1.48m.