Proposed new agriculture expansion could put the Gympie region back at the forefront of this industry

The proposed new facility could put the Gympie region back at the forefront of this industry

Gympie agriculture business Gympie Famr Services wants to build anew nut handling centre at East Deep Creek to bring work usually done at Bundaberg or New South Wales into the region.

A Gympie macadamia business has resurrected years-old plans as part of a push to put the region back on the nut map.

Gympie Farm Services has lodged an application for a new nut handling facility at East Deep Creek, a development it said would put the region back at the forefront of an industry it had helped make thrive.

“Although Gympie region was an early champion of expanding the macadamia industry in Australia it has been left behind by other regions,” the company said in its application to the council.

“We believe that the region has the potential to grow and this facility will encourage this.”

The company is owned by Benworth Pty Ltd, which bought the block in October 2016.

A February 2021 letter from Gympie Farm Services’ Peter Zummo to the council as part of the application said the nut facility was planned when the land was bought but “unfortunately, council had advised that it was not in a position to support the required development application necessary to establish our nut handling facility because of council‘s planning scheme”.

The centre will work in conjunction with the existing factories on Edwin Campion Dr.

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Mr Zummo said he was advised in June last year pending changes to the Town Plan would now support the development application; those changes have reportedly not been made yet.

If approved the new facility would fill a major gap in its production line, which includes existing nut curing and packaging factories on Edwin Campion Dr at Monkland, and bring a key part of the process to Gympie.

The developers say they bought the land for the centre in 2016 but were advised by the council the planning scheme would not support the development at that time.

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“Presently, most harvested macadamia nuts are being de-husked in facilities in Bundaberg and New South Wales,” Mr Zummo said in the application.

“There is basic dehusking facilities on local farms.

“Once our facility is operational, the nuts in their shells and husks will be collected by road transport vehicles from farms and delivered to this site for dehusking and sorting. “

The existing building on the site will be demolished and replaced by a single storey, 10m high manufacturing shed.

Originally published as Proposed new agriculture expansion could put the Gympie region back at the forefront of this industry