GRANT District Council staff have been locked in talks with a potential developer of a new processing facility and tourism project in the district.
While the nature of the development is confidential due to commercial sensitivity, the developer has been seeking information regarding the availability of utilities at the proposed site.
Council economic development adviser Mike Ryan – who has met with the developer – said the company had also been in discussion with SA Power Networks over power availability.
Mr Ryan disclosed the possible development at a council meeting this week.
“The developer has also held discussions with NBN Co in relation to fixed wireless broadband availability,” he said.
He said discussions also focused on other aspects of the potential development.
Meanwhile, Mr Ryan revealed council staff had been in talks with a myriad of other potential developers for various projects.
These include a potential new transport facility as well as a new retail centre.
Mr Ryan also revealed there continued to be ongoing international investment, particularly from the Chinese business sector, flowing into Grant district.
“Some of this interest is from members of the Australia Chinese Commercial Association, who were members of the visiting delegation that council hosted in November last year,” the staff member said.
He said regional suppliers had been contacted and product details provided to interested parties in relation to the supply of timber, seafood and beef.
Mr Ryan said he had also been busy updating council’s business database, which now showed there were more than 570 businesses in the Grant district.
In particular, Mr Ryan has been updating the details of commercial rock lobster and abalone licensees as well as fishing processors at Port MacDonnell, Blackfellow Caves and Carpenter Rocks.
“There has been some publicity in relation to the potential establishment of a southern rock lobster fishing cooperative in the region,” he said in a report.
“I have sought information from the Federal Government’s Farming Together initiative as to whether it might be an appropriate avenue of assistance for referral and I am currently awaiting further details.”
In other industry news, Grant council is also seeking to work with its neighbour Wattle Range Council and South Australian Dairyfarmers Association to host a forum.
The forum would focus on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s focus on new unfair contract terms legislation and what it may mean to farmers in relation to milk supply contracts with processors.
“The forum would be based on similar events in Victoria and presented by John McQueen of Australian Dairy Farmers,” Mr Ryan said.
“A number of dairy farmers in council’s district have changed processors over the past year and recent milk price announcements and competition from new local processors, particularly Union Dairy Company at Coonawarra, may have further impact.”
A number of dairy farms in the Grant district have also changed hands.
He foreshadowed he also wanted to work closely with Dairy SA about its dealings with dairy farmers “doing it tough”.
“During the next quarter, I plan to focus on spending more time visiting businesses in our region to gain a better understanding of their needs, issues and opportunities,” Mr Ryan said.
