The Kimberley Cotton Gin in Kununurra has officially opened.
This gin is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs over the next decade in a new billion-dollar industry for the State’s north, with an initial processing capacity of about 100,000 bales per year. It is set to drive economic growth and employment opportunities in the region.
The $60 million high-tech processing facility is owned by Kimberley Cotton Company, a consortium of local growers.
The 79.4-hectare gin site is serviced by a 100 per cent renewable power supply using low emission hydroelectricity, which is set to satisfy global market demand for low emissions cotton fibre.
The WA Government funded the high-voltage supply line and upgraded the network to deliver clean power from the Pac Hydro’s Lake Argyle generation system.
Phil Lowbridge, the General Manager of J.A. Martin has stated:
“The Kununurra project in Western Australia is a milestone not just for J.A. Martin Electrical, but for the cotton industry as a whole. We’ve integrated cutting-edge electrical systems that will make this one of the most energy-efficient gins in the country.”
This agricultural expansion is underpinned by a $77 million State Government investment, through the Water Corporation, to upgrade the main water supply channel to supply water from Lake Argyle to the Knox development. The State Government-backed WA Agricultural Research Collaboration will be driving research to explore the use of cotton and other irrigated crop by-products as livestock feed to add further value to the Kimberley economy.
