Federal government awards Turbine Precinct $33.4 million grant

The Turbine Collaborative Food and Beverage Manufacturing Precinct, an upcoming industry and education hub at Sunshine Coast Airport, has been awarded a $33.4 million grant under the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative collaboration stream.

The Precinct had previously been awarded $8.78 million under the MMI’s translation stream in November last year for their R&D centre and large-scale contract beverage manufacturing facility.

Turbine is an initiative of the Sunshine Coast’s Food and Agriculture Network (FAN)

The second grant to Turbine is in support of a project with a total budget of $112.8 million. It would create 131 jobs in the construction phase and 687 when operational, according to a statement from industry minister Angus Taylor on Wednesday.

Tenants will include Lyre’s Spirit Co, Doehler Australia, and University of the Sunshine Coast. 

“This funding will support some of the most innovative producers leverage technology to increase their production, while meeting growing export demand and creating new local jobs across the region and beyond through this world-class airport precinct,” said Taylor.

“Not only does it remove barriers to businesses getting started, it will also help companies build their capabilities together and drive growth in the food and beverage sector on a scale not yet seen in Australia.”

According to Turbine’s website it will be operational in late-2023, with its first stage having “a beverage focus and include a large-scale contract beverage facility; co-located beverage manufacturers;  collaborative R&D centre, expertise and training hub; and hospitality showcase.”

Grants under the collaboration stream are between $20 million and $200 million in support of “large, transformational projects,” which have business-to-business or business-to-research collaboration at their core, and can cover up to 33 per cent of a project’s total cost. 

The collaboration stream is the largest of the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative streams. Grants awarded under it so far have included $55.4 million towards Bluescope’s Advanced Steel Manufacturing Precinct, $49 million to Australian Vanadium Limited for a battery materials processing centre, and $20 million to help establish a space manufacturing hub at Adelaide Airport. 

Picture: Department of industry

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