Movement at the Food Precinct is Promising
Friday, 29 June 2007
$1.2 million is being ploughed into the East Bendigo plan.
Big-name tenants are close to being announced for East Bendigo's multi-million dollar food precinct.
The City of Greater Bendigo council established the 30-hectare site near the airport in 2002 and development since then has been slow.
However, private company Bendigo Properties, a joint venture between Bensons Property Group and Hickory Developments, have taken over the development and are moving ahead rapidly.
The company has allocated council, which is the project manager, $1.2 million to begin connecting services to the site next month.
Council City Futures director Stan Liacos said that could only mean major announcements were imminent.
"A developer doesn't plough that sort of money into something unless the actual developments themselves are imminent," he said. "We are very keen to see the start of this process and we are very close."
Local Mexican food company Rositas has been linked with the new site, which is near its current home at Mayfair Park.
The Bendigo Weekly believes Rositas is close to making a major announcement about its future home.
It is unsure whether that announcement will be to move to a new precinct or leave Bendigo altogether.
A company spokesman refused to comment on the speculation.
"The directors are looking at all the options as far as moving goes," he said.
Another local company continually mentioned in the same breath as the food precinct is Pasta Master. Its chief financial officer Greg Walker was less than impressed with the progression of the development.
"There is no indication that the precinct is even going ahead, so it is not on our radar," he said.
"There seems to always be a lot of talk and not much action."
Council's Business Development Manager Brian Gould said he expected the site to attract interest from local and national companies.
"Some of our existing food manufacturers are considering moving to the new site and we expect others will want to take advantage of the ability to have a factory purpose-built to their specifications in a dedicated food precinct," he said.
Bensons' managing director Rick Curtis said the precinct offered food manufacturers a unique opportunity to have a facility constructed under various arrangements such as lease or build-own-operate-transfer scheme.
"With the security of having a dedicated food precinct, we can be flexible in the way we work with the manufacturers to provide them with an investment arrangement that's going to suit them and their business now and into the future."
Mr Curtis said the precinct would be environmentally-friendly.
"Not only are we building the largest industrial development in Bendigo, but it will also be one of the most ecologically sustainable industrial parks in the state," he said.
"Every element that has gone into the project is about quality, sustainability and commercial success.
"We are looking forward to partnering with food manufacturers to provide them with facilities in a secure environment that will allow them to grow their business over the long term.
Source: The Bendigo Weekly, June 29th 2007
