The Shire of Murray could become home to a $350 million project aiming to produce quality food for Australian and export markets. Perth Food Bowl Corporation is seeking State approval to develop a Peel agri-bio innovation precinct at Lot 9503 Gull Road, Keralup.
Location and Scope
Keralup lies within both the City of Rockingham and Shire of Murray, but the subject site is in the shire. The site is about 60km south of Perth city centre, roughly 10km northeast of Mandurah city centre, and adjoins the Nambeelup Industrial Area to the south. The precinct is designed to produce premium low-carbon food—high-quality protein and fresh produce—for both Australian and export markets, particularly Singapore.
Economic Impact
The project is expected to create more than 200 full-time jobs and generate more than $21 million in wages. It will include premises for intensive agriculture, general and rural industries, and alternative energy with an associated solar farm.
Facilities and Technologies
Key components include a bio-fertiliser soil enhancement facility for enclosed mycelium propagation and fungus farming, with an integrated research centre. A greenhouse facility will feature a 20-hectare production area for fruit and vegetables, along with service buildings for packing, loading, and storage. Pre-processed agricultural biomass (crop residues) will be converted into certified biochar through enclosed pyrolysis modules, with waste thermal energy recovered at a biochar and thermal energy facility. Additionally, a 6.4-megawatt solar farm covering 7.2 hectares with a battery energy storage system will be installed.
Carbon-Negative Innovation
The application from Planning Solutions states it would be Australia’s first carbon-negative agri-tech innovation precinct. “The co-location and coordination of these operations result in a single co-ordinated system in which the waste or by-product streams of one become the inputs of another; the thermal output of one unit becomes the energy supply to another; and the carbon released by one process is captured, stabilised and re-applied by another,” the application reads. “The project has been specifically designed to support climate-resilient food production and secure supply chains using low-emissions technologies, renewable energy, advanced water reuse systems and circular nutrient recovery.”
Public Consultation
The application is open for public comment until July 23.
