Kimberley Cotton Gin in Kununurra a game changer for cotton industry
Located in Kununurra, the facility will eliminate the need for local growers to transport their cotton more than 3,500 kilometres to Queensland for processing, significantly cutting costs and streamlining operations.
The Kimberley Cotton Gin is owned by Kimberley Cotton Company, a consortium of local growers and traditional owners.
Construction manager Daniel Draheim, from Namoi Cotton, said it was a relief to see the project finished on time and on budget.
"It's a game changer, because a big part of cotton and growing cotton is logistics," he said.
"It's really the birth of a whole industry now."
Mr Draheim said the processing facility would provide capacity for the already successful industry to grow.
The facility will initially process between 100,000 and 120,000 bales per year and is expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs over the next decade.
Cotton grown in the region will not only be processed locally, but also exported through the nearby Wyndham Port.
Wyndham Port operator Cambridge Gulf Limited chief executive, Tony Chafer, said the port was working to secure First Point of Entry status to manage container imports — a key step that would facilitate cotton exports.
"It's a very exciting day for the town and for the Wyndham Port as well, in particular," he said.
"It's the start of a new export industry for us, and we're very excited about this industry growing and continuing well into the future."
During a visit to Kununurra in January, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the federal government's support for granting First Point of Entry status to Wyndham Port.
The WA government has also committed $14 million to upgrade port infrastructure.
Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King and state government representatives were among hundreds who attended the official opening of the Kimberley Cotton Gin on Monday.
Ms King said the federal government's $34 million loan through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) may not be the largest, but it would be the most impactful.
"I say it's impactful because I truly believe the community support is like nothing I've ever seen on any NAIF loan project that I've been to," she said.
"It's quite a remarkable event."
Set on a 79.4-hectare site, the gin runs entirely on hydro-electricity, making its power supply 100 per cent renewable.
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