Medical cannabis company Cannaponics has officially started developing its large-scale cannabis facility in Collie – a small town located 200 kilometres from Perth.
The company first released details of its new facility in mid-June. The facility will include a 3,600 SQM greenhouse and a 2,000 SQM manufacturing facility that will produce high-quality medical cannabis. The 160-acre grounds will also host its two subsidiaries (Hemponics and Medicar Health), 25,000 metres of solar panels and potentially other tenants.
In March, the Western Australian government awarded Cannaponics $2 million from the Collie Future Industry Development Fund for the project. Now, Cannaponics has turned around and elected to hire local businesses to build their new medical cannabis empire.
The site grounds will be developed by local Collie businesses T & R Contracting and Earthmoving Contractors. The buildings on the site will be constructed by Ballpoint Construction Group, which will be hiring workers from the Collie area. Over the next twelve months, the construction of the Cannaponics site is expected to create 50 local construction jobs.
WA’s Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan says that the new Collie facility will help the state “compete” in the medical cannabis industry.
The medicinal cannabis industry is rapidly growing and Western Australia is well placed to compete in that industry.
She also believes that the Cannaponics facility will bring local jobs and new “innovative” industries into the Collie area, as well as benefit the economy through “flow-on effects”.
Currently, the Cannaponics facility is in stage one of development. After this stage is finished, the company will be producing 7,000 kilograms of dried cannabis flower every year. Cannaponics has already begun work on the new medical cannabis site, according to the WA government.
