Feds commit to $17.2 million Food Manufacturing and Innovation Hub in Budget.

Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC), the Central Coast’s lead manufacturing industry body, was pleased to see that $17.2M had been allocated to the region, for its Food Manufacturing and Innovation hub in the Federal Budget.

A strategic business case for the hub was developed by CCIC late last year with the assistance of Food Innovation Australia Limited and major industry partner TrendPac. The business case had support from regional stakeholders including Regional Development Australia Central Coast, the University of Newcastle and major food manufacturing companies Sara Lee, Mars Food, Sanitarium and Agrana Australia.

It became an election commitment by the now Federal Labor government, after support was given for the project, from Local Member for Dobell Emma McBride and then Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation, Ed Husic MP.

The project will provide a purpose-built facility to house scale up food businesses, a range of pilot facilities and a skills hub servicing the local food and beverage manufacturing sector. It is designed to grow the local food sector and attract food manufacturers from outside the region.

Executive Director of CCIC, Frank Sammut, said, “The Coast has a strong food and beverage manufacturing presence contributing $1.4 billion in output to the region.