The precinct has the potential for high value food production, processing, export and 12,000 jobs, according to the NSW Farmers Association.
“[The precinct] will not only create significant amount of manufacturing jobs for Western Sydney, but high skilled high paid employment associated with cutting edge agricultural and food processing practices,” said a new report, Think Big Think Fresh: A Fresh Food Precinct for Western Sydney Airport, by the farmers’ association and consulting firm KPMG.
What’s in mind is a custom-built export facility for fresh food and fibre in a Fresh Food Precinct (FFP) on some 500 hectares in the vicinity of the airport
Western Sydney is well placed to support such a precinct due to its food production capabilities and skills.
The report noted that Greater Western Sydney had the largest food industry in Australia and many of the country’s largest food and beverage wholesalers and retailers were located there offering an ideal location for leveraging off the primary produce from regional NSW, making it ideally suited as a fresh food precinct.
In the financial year 2016 the gross value of agriculture production in the region was $806M.
“The precinct would provide primary producers with the opportunity to move up the value chain and access new lucrative overseas markets and NSW produce could be on Asian shelves in 36-48 hours, and achieve significant price premiums for our producers,” said KPMG Partner Robert Poole.
NSW Farmers’ CEO, Matt Brand, said a fresh food precinct would be a win-win for the city and the country.
“It isn’t very often one piece of infrastructure can provide economic benefits for people in the city and the bush, but the Western Sydney Airport could do just that.”
The report recommended a $5M investment for a further feasibility study to prepare a prospectus on the precinct to go to market.
The NSW Farmers’ Association was also calling for the Sydney Markets, at Flemington, to consider co-locating to the airport precinct.
“No decisions as to the future location of Sydney Markets have been made at this time”, said Sydney Markets, CEO, Brad Latham, in a statement.
David Borger, Western Sydney director, of the Sydney Business Chamber, said the organisation supported the initiative.
