RAPAD Backs Australia Back on the Sheep’s Back

An economic development body in central western Queensland is backing a visionary plan to have Australia riding on the sheep’s back again.

The Remote Area Planning and Development Board is supporting the development of a whole supply chain wool processing plant in Blackall by financially supporting feasibility works required to progress the project.

“We know the wool industry is an excellent economic and population driver for our region, that’s why we have worked hard on exclusion fencing and why we are now supporting the Blackall region to process greasy wool so the region can capitalise on our raw products,” RAPAD Chairman Tony Rayner said.

In 2020, the Blackall Tambo Regional Council commissioned a study into the feasibility of establishing an end-to-end wool processing plant.

The report found it was economically viable and would give an enormous economic boost to the whole of the central west region.

Queensland Wool Processors (QWool) is now raising seed funding (closes 19th November via qwool.com.au) to support the project.

“RAPAD can see the long-term potential benefits to the nation, and the entire region not just Blackall Tambo. To be able to grow the wool, process it and supply woollen products to the market all from this region will see jobs and investment flow through the entire central west,” Blackall Tambo Mayor and RAPAD Director Andrew Martin said.

RAPAD has provided a $50,000 grant to support a technical feasibility study and progress an initial offering in the venture.

This feasibility will assist to secure an in-principal agreement from the State Government for water, secure an option to acquire land for development, develop a labour force strategy for construction and operations, continue work on a logistic strategy for supply and customers, establish electricity supply strategy and help develop a capital estimate for the plant.

The RAPAD area covers a total area of 396 609 km² – or almost a quarter (22.9 per cent) of the land area of Queensland. RAPAD councils are Barcaldine Regional Council, Barcoo Shire Council, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council, Boulia Shire Council, Diamantina Shire Council, Longreach Regional Council and Winton Shire Council.