- $80 million joint investment from Queensland Investment Corporation and Wollemi Capital into new bioenergy hub.
- Queensland is open for business after Labor's decade of decline.
- Over 1000 regional jobs while strengthening the state's energy security and sovereign capabilities.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering a better lifestyle through a stronger economy and backing local biofuel innovation, with a joint $80 million investment in the Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct - a $291 million bioenergy and food hub at Kalbar, southwest of Brisbane.
Led by major vegetable grower Kalfresh and backed by $80 million in investment from the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) and Wollemi Capital, the project is set to transform agricultural waste into energy sources and sustainable fertilisers, delivering far-reaching benefits to Queensland families, farmers and businesses.
The precinct will include a biogas anaerobic digestion facility, which will convert agricultural and food waste into enough energy to power up to 31,000 homes or fuel up to 98 million kilometres of transport a year, while also producing natural bio-fertilisers to reduce reliance on imported synthetic alternatives and support local agriculture.
The Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct will also deliver over 1,000 jobs, including 641 during construction and 475 ongoing operational roles.
Support for the project is part of the Crisafulli Government's commitment to make Queensland a leader in three priority industries - biofuels, biomedical, and defence – after Labor's decade of haphazard and ineffective approach to new industry growth.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie, said the project showed how industry and innovation can work together to build a future-ready Queensland.
"Queensland is open for business, and we're working with the private sector on strategic partnerships like this that will accelerate development and drive innovation in our priority industries, and create secure new jobs," Deputy Premier Bleijie said.
"Unlike Labor's failed and haphazard approach to industry growth, these investments create jobs and drive regional development that secures Queensland's position as a global leader in biofuels and energy innovation."
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said bioenergy projects co-located in farming communities are the kind of practical investment regional Queensland needs.
"We are focused on strengthening Queensland's economy and making sure regional communities share in that growth," Minister Bates said.
"That's how you build a stronger economy, by backing industry, working with farmers and making sure projects stack up economically as well as environmentally."
Queensland's Coordinator-General, Gerard Coggan highlighted his appreciation for the work undertaken by the Office of the Coordinator-General to enable this transformative project.
"Through close collaboration with all stakeholders, we've ensured a streamlined process to bring this innovative precinct to life, delivering substantial benefits for regional Queensland," Mr Coggan said.
Kalfresh co-owner and Chief Executive Officer, Richard Gorman, said agriculture's role is expanding and the project puts farmers at the heart of solving critical energy challenges, to build a stronger Queensland ag industry.
"Our food and bioenergy model will bring lasting benefits to the region through new investment in high-value manufacturing, value-adding waste into baseload energy and biofuels, and by creating valuable bio-fertiliser for the next crop."
Wollemi Capital is providing key funding for the project, which represents a significant step forward in sustainable agricultural innovation.
Wollemi Co-Founder and Co-CEO Tim Bishop described the initiative as "shovel-ready energy infrastructure" and a blueprint for future collaboration between agriculture and energy.
"We're backing this because it's real, reliable and replicable – a model where agriculture and energy work together, underpinned by economics that stand up at scale," said Mr Bishop.
QIC CEO Kylie Rampa highlighted the significance of the investment in advancing Queensland's energy sector.
"In collaboration with Wollemi Capital, QIC is proud to support Kalfresh to introduce a scalable bioenergy platform, which demonstrates how agriculture and energy can work hand in hand," Ms Rampa said.
"This initiative will strengthen energy security while creating new value from what was once considered waste, and farmers are central to driving these practical solutions."
Construction has commenced, with the first flow of energy scheduled for mid-2027.
