Regional Development Minister Mary-Anne Thomas visited the facility on April 14 to announce a grant from the Victorian Government’s Regional Jobs Fund to Cannatrek.
The Australian-owned business was established in 2016 and produces medical cannabis at its Queensland research and development greenhouse facility for more than 6000 patients.
The greater Shepparton development will be the first production facility outside of Queensland.
The project will help Cannatrek rely on locally produced cannabis from Australia instead of imports.
Featuring automated climate control and watering systems, medicinal cannabis can be grown all-year-round at the Lemnos glasshouse before it’s transported to Cannatrek’s packing and distribution facility nearby in Shepparton.
Work on the first phase of the outdoor, indoor and glasshouse growing sites started earlier this year.
The site is expected to be operational in 2022 but construction will be ongoing as the facility expands.
Cannatrek currently employs more than 50 people across Victoria and Queensland, with the greater Shepparton project to create roles in cultivation and production, packaging, logistics, administration and management.
The project aligns with the Victorian Government’s Medicinal Cannabis Industry Development Plan to supply half of Australia’s medicinal cannabis by 2028.
The grant amount was commercial-in-confidence, Ms Thomas said.
“We are supporting local medicinal cannabis production, which will provide treatments to thousands of patients across Australia,” she said.
“This project will contribute to our country’s cutting edge medicinal cannabis industry, while growing jobs right here in regional Victoria.”
Later in the day Ms Thomas headed to Plunkett Orchards at Ardmona to announce a pilot program that will link workers with expert training and on-the-job experience to build their skills and open new career pathways.
The pilot program, backed by $600,000 of Victorian Government funding, will be rolled out across key horticulture regions including Sunraysia, Goulburn Valley and Gippsland.
The new traineeships will be run by Apprenticeship Employment Network in collaboration with group training organisations, TAFEs, horticulture businesses, local industry groups and Agriculture Victoria.
It aims to build skills and knowledge in areas such as operating machinery and farm infrastructure as well as supply chains, relationship management and digital platforms.
Read more in the April 19 edition of Country News.
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