Mossman Mill funding deadline pushed back another time
AGRICULTURE
While discussions continue to finalise Far Northern Milling (FNM) acquiring Mossman Mill, the deadline for a decision has been extended to Friday 28 June.
FNM, who are relying on funding to the tune of $45m from the Queensland State Government ($25m) and the Federal Government ($20m) respectively, have conditionally purchased the mill from current owners Mackay Sugar. A key contention among the two levels of government is where the respective funding should go.
The purchase of the mill is contingent on FNM receiving the funding from the two levels of government.
The initial deadline to finalise this arrangement was 14 June, but this was extended to 24 June and at the time, the chair of FNM, Maryann Salvetti, said they would not be “walking away today” adding that progress was being made.
The deadline was then extended to 24 June and now to 28 June.
Warren Entsch, the Federal Member for Leichhardt, has repeatedly stated that the Federal Government had met their commitments and it was now up to the State Government to meet theirs.
In a statement on 14 June, Cameron Dick, Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, said: “The Queensland Government supports Maryann Salvetti and Far Northern Milling 100 per cent in working with the Federal Government to ensure they keep their promise to the Mossman cane growers, to provide operational funding for things like wages.”
The Douglas Shire Council has provided $250,000 to help Far Northern Milling cover costs of acquiring the mill.
The payment also supports growers’ plans to create the ‘Daintree Bio-Precinct’ to tap into renewable energy opportunities and create valuable by-products at a processing facility on the land adjacent to the mill.
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