Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, right, with SatiVite Chairman Ross Munro at the Moree-based facility where medicinal cannabis will be produced for a range of products.
Thursday, 6 October 2022
A ‘FINANCIAL FERTILISING’ will allow Moree’s fledgling medicinal cannabis sector to grow and create more than 25 new jobs, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall today announcing a $500,000 State Government grant for SatiVite Group’s Moree Special Activation Precinct (Moree SAP) project.
Mr Marshall said the grant, provided through the government’s Regional Job Creation Fund, would help SatiVite to develop new medicinal cannabis cultivation and processing facilities within the footprint of the Moree SAP.
“SatiVite has an established industrial hemp crop at Moree, which has acted as trial site for both irrigated and dry land varieties of the plant,” Mr Marshall said.
“Now it is looking to expand its operation by adding more than 10 hectares of protective cropping for cannabidiol (CBD) medicines.”
“These funds will assist with the purchase of specialised medical cultivation technologies and the addition of a processing facility on site.
“Due to government regulations around the cultivation of medicinal cannabis in Australia, strict security controls including fencing and cameras will also be installed at the premises.
“This development is really exciting as it is one of the first real examples of the innovative new job creation opportunities and primary production value-adding that will result from the establishment of this new precinct at Moree.”
The first phase of the project is estimated to cost SatiVite up to $5 million.
SatiVite CEO Mike Cleary said the team at SatiVite were excited to be announcing its investment in Moree.
“SatiVite is taking steps to increase growth in the new emerging medicinal cannabis industry with thousands of patients across Australia and this investment from the NSW Government will fast track our investment in Moree,” Mr Cleary said.
“We can leverage off the strong agri-relationships in the Moree region to research medical farming technics to reduce costs to patients while creating 40-plus roles in an exciting and emerging industry.
“This will leverage upon relationship with training organisations to upskill employees from other industries a lot of the job roles can transferred to other parts of the agribusiness industry.
“Sativite use all local contractors having our chairman based in Moree will ensure we are using local contractors to establish development works and ensure community involvement.
“From the positive results we have seen with crops at Moree, we are confident we are well placed to establish a sustainable cannabis industry which will benefit the North-West economy long-term.”