A new $17.14 million manufacturing hub has opened at Ourimbah on the NSW Central Coast, with Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC) saying the purpose-built facility is designed to help small and medium-sized food and beverage manufacturers expand production, access shared equipment and strengthen local manufacturing capability.
In a news release, CCIC said the Central Coast Food Manufacturing Innovation Hub was developed with $17.14 million in Australian Government funding. Located at 2–4 Brownlee Street, Ourimbah, the facility includes a pilot plant and dedicated food and beverage manufacturing spaces that businesses can access on a shared basis.
According to CCIC, the Hub aims to reduce the cost and risk of expansion for manufacturers by providing access to production space and equipment that may otherwise be beyond the reach of individual businesses.
The organisation said the initiative is expected to support growth across the Central Coast’s $2 billion food and beverage manufacturing sector.
Three businesses have already committed to operating from the Hub, with additional space currently available.
CCIC said the Hub has been established in a region that is already home to major food manufacturers including Mars Food and Nutrition, Sanitarium and Sara Lee. The organisation said the facility will provide programs, expertise and shared infrastructure intended to help manufacturers innovate, develop workforce capability and grow their operations while supporting manufacturing activity and employment in the region.
The Hub will be operated by CCIC as part of its vision of fostering “a vibrant, connected and innovative manufacturing sector that provides sustained employment and sector growth, now and into the future, for our community”.
CCIC said the facility is also intended to strengthen links between industry, suppliers, government, researchers, students and the broader community.
CCIC Executive Director Frank Sammut said the opening marked a significant milestone for the region’s manufacturing industry.
“The Hub represents years of vision, partnership and persistence, and is a major step forward for our $2 billion food and beverage manufacturing sector on the Central Coast,” Sammut said.
CCIC Board Chair Ian Hemphill said the facility would serve as both a physical base for the organisation and a focal point for collaboration across the sector.
“For Central Coast Industry Connect, the Hub is a physical home and the start of a new chapter for our industry partners and other stakeholders,” Hemphill said.
He added, “Its success will be built on how well we turn collaboration into outcomes for the manufacturing sector and our community.”
