Mossman Mill funding deadline extended at eleventh hour

MOSSMAN MILL




The future of the Mossman Mill is still hanging in the balance, but its conditional purchaser (from Mackay Sugar) Far Northern Milling will not be walking away today.

This was their original deadline after the two levels of government could not resolve their differences over funding allocations.


Related Coverage:
STATE MEMBER CONFIDENT A RESOLUTION FOR THE MILL CAN BE FOUND
MAYOR CALLS FOR RESOLUTION AS MILL CASH DEADLINE LOOMS
MOSSMAN MILL A HURDLE FOR GERMAN MANUFACTURING MACKAY SUGAR BID


The chair of FNM, Maryann Salvetti, said they would not be walking away today adding that progress was being made. She said the deadline has been extended to 24 June.

In a letter dated 29 May and addressed to Warren Entsch, the Federal Member for Leichhardt, Maryann Salvetti, wrote: “The Board is tired of fighting and yesterday moved a resolution that if we cannot achieve the $? from the State funding for operations and cash flow, then on 14 June we will have no option but to walk away from purchasing the mill.

“We now leave the future of Mossman Mill in the hands of the Federal and State governments again and hopefully this proposal will be acceptable to both layers of Government,” she wrote.

“This decision was taken because it was Budget Week – the Queensland State Government brought down their budget earlier in the week – but I can say that we are confident and we are on track,” she said.

The two levels of government have been grappling over where the respective funding should go – the state government has pledged $25m and the federal government $20m.

Yesterday, Cameron Dick, Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, said: “The Queensland Government supports Maryann Salvetti and Far North 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.”

Entsch’s office continues to reiterate that their share of the deal has been met.

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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