Council approves $160 million cannabis facility at Shepparton
An $160 million medicinal cannabis facility has been given the green light by the Greater Shepparton City Council.
A MEDICINAL cannabis company has received council permission to build a $160 million production facility near Shepparton.
Cannatrek Limited claims it will be one of the world’s largest medicinal cannabis facilities, creating more than 400 jobs a year for the region.
The facility will include a 160,000m2 growing area under a “giant high-technology” glasshouse, on about 72ha of land previously bought by the company.
When operating at full production, it aims to produce 160 tonnes of medicinal cannabis a year.
“We believe that the region will become a major centre for the production of medicinal cannabis,” Cannatrek chief executive Tommy Huppert said.
“We are delighted that the local council is so enthusiastic about our project.”
Mr Huppert said the company received planning permission for the entire project.
“Our aim is to cultivate, process and manufacture affordable medicinal cannabis as a clean, green, therapeutic product of choice for hundreds of thousands of patients in Australia and overseas,” he said.
Greater Shepparton mayor Kim O’Keeffe told The Weekly Times council welcomed the investment.
“Cannatrek Limited met the planning requirements and we hope this investment attracts others to invest in our region,” she said.
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According to Cannatrek, an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Australians buy cannabis on the black market each year in order to self-medicate, and nearly all medicinal cannabis used in legal trials is being imported — making it expensive.
It said as of July, Australian authorities granted about 11,500 approvals under the Special Access Scheme for the legal use of medicinal cannabis, with the industry forecasting more than 20,000 approvals by the end of the year.
As more countries legalise medicinal cannabis, Cannatrek said it will pursue export markets.
Cannatrek holds eight licences to commercialise a “seed-to-patient” business in Australia.
It has completed commissioning of its Queensland site, near Brisbane, for research and development and commercial production to begin shortly.
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