ABC | 6 December 2013
WA Government signs agreement with Chinese-owned Kimberley Agricultural Investment on Ord Irrigation Scheme
The State Government has signed an agreement with a Chinese-owned company, to effectively double the Ord Irrigation Scheme in the Kimberley.
The agreement between the Government and Kimberley Agricultural Investment was signed this morning.
Over the next four years, the company will invest $200 million to create new agricultural land in the Goomig and Knox Plain areas of the Ord Valley.
The deal gives the company a long term lease over more than 7,000 hectares, which will ultimately be used to plant sugar cane.
Their long term plan is to create a large sugar industry, employing about 300 people.
The outgoing Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls says Western Australia is pioneering foreign investment in agriculture.
"Our resource sector was driven by international investment," he said.
"We're now seeing the start of the agricultural sector being driven by international investment and I think what this signals for Western Australia is that we, as a State Government, are open for business.
"The signing of the development agreement with Kimberley Agricultural Investment is a milestone in this project.
"It gives them tenure over their land clearing and they've already made a significant start, but as I said, they look to have almost three quarters of the land cleared by next year."
The signing of the agreement between the WA Government and the Kimberley Agricultural Company. (Photo: ABC News/Rebecca Carmody)
WA Government signs agreement with Chinese-owned Kimberley Agricultural Investment on Ord Irrigation Scheme
The State Government has signed an agreement with a Chinese-owned company, to effectively double the Ord Irrigation Scheme in the Kimberley.
The agreement between the Government and Kimberley Agricultural Investment was signed this morning.
Over the next four years, the company will invest $200 million to create new agricultural land in the Goomig and Knox Plain areas of the Ord Valley.
The deal gives the company a long term lease over more than 7,000 hectares, which will ultimately be used to plant sugar cane.
Their long term plan is to create a large sugar industry, employing about 300 people.
The outgoing Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls says Western Australia is pioneering foreign investment in agriculture.
"Our resource sector was driven by international investment," he said.
"We're now seeing the start of the agricultural sector being driven by international investment and I think what this signals for Western Australia is that we, as a State Government, are open for business.
"The signing of the development agreement with Kimberley Agricultural Investment is a milestone in this project.
"It gives them tenure over their land clearing and they've already made a significant start, but as I said, they look to have almost three quarters of the land cleared by next year."
