Miles Government supports family farms with latest round of RED Grants

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE – GRABS & OVERLAY

• 20 Ag businesses receive $3.7 million in Round 6 of Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants.
• 118 good, secure jobs created for Queenslanders as a direct result of Round 6 grants.
• Expressions of Interest for Round 7 are now open.
• Projects like RED Grants under threat from David Crisafulli and the LNP’s cuts.

Twenty Queensland agribusinesses have benefitted from the latest round of the Miles Government’s popular Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants, with Expressions of Interest for the next round now open.

The successful Round 6 applicants have received a total of $3.7 million, creating 118 good, secure jobs that will support communities right across rural and regional Queensland.

Each RED Grant recipient received up to $200,000 to complete a diverse range of shovel-ready projects such as the construction of greenhouses, glasshouses, fruit packing facilities and seafood processing areas.

Successful Miles Government programs such as RED Grants are under threat from David Crisafulli and the LNP’s cuts agenda, which have targeted agriculture before.

When last in government the LNP cut more than 600 jobs from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The RED Grants program has provided a total of $20 million in funding over six years, supporting 100 successful regional agribusiness projects worth more than $65.4 million.

It’s estimated the program has created more than 3,000 new direct and indirect jobs.

Expressions of interest for Round 7 of RED Grants is now open with applications closing on 22 November 2024.

Round 7 will include a focus on supporting Indigenous-owned agribusinesses and projects that support low-emissions agriculture.

For more information visit www.qrida.qld.gov.au/program/rural-economic-development-grants.

Attributable to Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner:

“The Miles Government backs Queensland’s primary producers, and I’m pleased to see the latest round of RED Grants supporting so many agribusinesses from right across our state.

“From Mareeba in the Far North to Chinchilla on the Western Downs, the local economies of rural and regional communities will see major benefits from these projects.

“RED Grants and other Miles Labor Government initiatives designed to support regional Queensland are under threat from David Crisafulli and the LNP’s cuts.

“When last in government David Crisafulli sat around the cabinet table and gave the nod to more than 600 job cuts at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, a 28 per cent cut to the fisheries workforce, and a 26 per cent cut to jobs on our state’s biosecurity front line.”

Attributable to Round 6 RED Grant recipient Danielle Marcon of Marcon Family Farms:

“We were over the moon to find out our application for a Rural Economic Development Grant had been successful, as we knew it was such a huge deal.

“We’ve never applied for anything like this before, so we were very excited to be successful as first-time applicants.

“The grant allows us to expand our greenhouse operations in Bundaberg. We currently have three greenhouses and one glasshouse and with the funding, we will be adding one more greenhouse to our family farm.

“Once completed, it will create 8-10 full time equivalent jobs, on top of employing local trades companies during the construction of the greenhouse, which will bring outsiders to the region.

“The expansion will help us meet the growing demand for our premium fresh produce from consumers all over Australia.”

ENDS

Media contact: Bryce Heaton 0427 781 920