Regional Trade Distribution Centre will ‘supercharge’ airfreight access for local ag producers
It’s a $20 million facility and while construction has only just begun, inquiries have already started coming in from across the country from other businesses wanting to be a part of it.
Development
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Construction of a $20 million temperature-controlled freight facility at Wellcamp Airport has begun.
The 3500 square metre Regional Trade Distribution Centre will “supercharge” airfreight access for agricultural producers in Toowoomba and on the Darling Downs.
Wagner Corporation’s John Wagner said the facility would increase Wellcamp Airport’s cold chain capability, with both chilled and frozen storage.
“We see that this facility will take us to a whole new level, particularly around the fresh produce side of things,” Mr Wagner said.
“We’re already getting people wanting to move into this facility alongside us – freight forwarders, producers – this wouldn’t have happened without the support of the State Government.”
The Queensland Government put forward $10 million for the project, which the Wagners matched.
The facility is being built by Hutchinson Builders.
“We should be operational by the end of June,” Mr Wagner said.
Looking to the future, Mr Wagner said with the Inland Rail coming through to the west of the airport, the Wagners were set on building a “world class multi-modal facility”.
“That’s road, rail and air. It’s the only one in the country,” he said.
“With that we can bring fresh produce from say Northern Victoria, central NSW, up here, ship it off the train, through this facility, and onto aircraft up to Asia.
“So that’s the big picture here.”
The facility will export premium goods including beef, dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables, pork and packaged nuts.
Treasurer Cameron Dick said the expansion of Wellcamp’s cold storage capability would give the region’s world-leading primary producers and exporters an edge “by increasing product shelf life and getting products back into international markets that just can’t get enough of Queensland’s high-quality food, fibre and manufactured products”.
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