- Cook Government continues to attract new industries to Collie, with latest Collie Futures Industry Development Fund grant recipients sharing in $2.27 million
- Funding includes $572,000 grant to establish Commercial Dive Academy in Collie
- Collie River Dental Centre to undergo expansion with assistance of $700,000 grant
- Summit Southern Cross Power Holdings allocated $1 million towards feasibility study for Liquid Air Energy Storage facility
- $2.74 million committed from the Collie Industry Attraction and Development Fund to deliver improved access improvements to the Wellington National Park
Regional Development Minister Don Punch today announced Collie will become home to a new commercial dive training school, which is among three recipients sharing in $2.27 million funding from the Cook Government to attract new industries to the South West town.
With the support of a $572,000 grant from the State Government's Collie Futures Industry Development Fund, Commercial Dive Academy will expand its business from Tasmania to establish a permanent school at Collie that will meet demand for occupational training.
Students will be able to gain Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme-accredited certifications to pursue careers in diving in a range of fields including the scientific, aquaculture, construction and salvage sectors.
With the trial of a mobile school now complete, the funding will assist the initial set-up involved with the project including the purchase and installation of the equipment required for a dive vessel at Lake Kepwari and diver training.
A classroom in town will be used for theory training, and the Collie Mineworkers Memorial Pool would be the venue for equipment familiarisation.
The project will create local jobs, increase visitation and create flow-on benefits to local businesses, while increasing the pool of available commercial divers to meet demand from industry.
The funding towards the new dive school was announced at Collie River Dental Centre, which has also been allocated $700,000 from the Collie Futures Industry Development Fund to expand and modernise the current facility to meet local needs.
The building extension works will include additional treatment rooms, an expanded sterilisation room, laboratory set-up and waiting room.
The expansion will create up to six new jobs and increase the capacity to service the community, attract and retain dental professionals, reduce appointment waiting times, provide universal access and provide additional services not currently available locally.
Summit Southern Cross Power Holdings - a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation - will also receive $1 million from the Collie Futures Industry Development Fund towards a feasibility study into the construction of a Liquid Air Energy Storage facility. Long-duration energy storage is considered an important component in the transition to low-emission energy.
Additionally, $2.74 million funding from the Collie Industry Attraction and Development Fund will deliver improved access improvements to the Wellington National Park including the Wellington Dam mural and recently developed trails network, supporting tourism.
The project will include widening a 4.3-kilometre section of River Road and 800-metre section of Falcon Road to enable two-way traffic, as well as the construction and installation of automated pedestrian access control gates on the walkway over Wellington Dam.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"When you invest in new industries, this benefits the community in terms of jobs and training, and also has positive flow-on effects to local businesses and suppliers.
"Diversifying local economies is really important when building strong communities, along with building quality of life with access to services - and we're doing both as we take Collie forward."
As stated by Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns:
"This is more exciting news for Collie, that points to a bright future for the community-with new jobs created across a range of industries and better quality of life for local residents.
"It's really exciting that business and industries are seeing what Collie has to offer and how the Cook Government can assist them in achieving their goals."
