Photo caption: Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism Kevin Hogan and Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton met with Australian Food and Fibre’s General Manager for Warehouse and Logistics Tayla Bush at the Warren gin.
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton was joined by Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism Kevin Hogan in Warren on Friday to highlight some of the leading export and tourism industries in the Parkes electorate and discuss some of the key challenges facing local producers.
The pair met with Warren Shire Council and visited Green Distillation Technologies’ tyre recycling plant, Australian Food and Fibre’s Warren gin and warehouse and Australia’s oldest closed-stud – Egelabra Stud.
Mr Coulton said the visit was an opportunity to showcase the great potential of the Parkes electorate.
“The economy of the Parkes electorate is underpinned by our agricultural and mining exports and Warren is a great example of the wide variety of industries we have that are playing a significant role in our nation’s prosperity,” Mr Coulton said.
“It was fantastic to be able to give Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism Kevin Hogan a taste of what we have to offer in the Parkes electorate.
“Warren is an agricultural community dominated by the wool and cotton industries, so it was fitting to visit the gin of one of our major cotton producers and exporters – Australian Food and Fibre (AFF), as well as tour Egalabra Stud where we discussed the some of the challenges facing the sheep and wool industry, including the live sheep export ban, biosecurity and feral animal control, with principal Malcolm Kater.
“We heard about some of Warren’s key tourist attractions, such as the Macquarie Marshes and the Window on the Wetlands facility with Warren Shire Council and discussed some of the issues council is experiencing such as funding for roads and concerns about the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“A highlight for me was visiting Green Distillation Technologies’ (GDT) tyre recycling plant which will not only be a great boon for Warren but the nation as it has come up with an innovative solution to deal with the problem of what to do with the billions of old tyres that end up in landfill. GDT has developed technology that converts tyres back into carbon, oil and steel without producing emissions.
“The company is now in the process of expanding its facility in Warren to recycle 160 tonnes, or 5,000 end-of-life tyres a week, with plans to open six more plants around Australia. Eventually, these seven plants would have the capacity to recycle 40 per cent of Australia’s old tyres which is a very exciting prospect.”
Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism Kevin Hogan said it was great to visit the exporting powerhouse that is the Parkes electorate, which includes cotton, wool, and sheep meat. He said it was also great to see firsthand the innovation behind the GDT tyre recycling plant.
“Regional Australia is the lifeblood of our country – they feed us, clothe us, and contribute significantly to our exporting industry – therefore our economy,” Mr Hogan said.
“We should be immensely proud of the hard work and innovation that is happening domestically.
“What was also clear is that my colleague, Mark Coulton, has fought hard for his community during his tenure as Federal Member, especially in securing funding for important local tourism projects such as the Window on the Wetlands facility.”