The Peel Development Commission heartily welcomes the state government's recent announcement of the round two Regional Economic Development (RED) grants program recipients for Peel.
Round one RED grants funding for the Peel region saw more than $850,000 approved towards seven Peel businesses for local projects, including Mandurah Cruises, Capogreco Farms and Cays Engineering.
Round two saw more than $600,000 approved towards another seven Peel organisations with a focus on manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.
It's great to see our government firmly backing our state's manufacturing industries as one of the key economic sectors that will build a more resilient economy.
Here in the Peel, we have an enormous opportunity to grow our manufacturing businesses.
The Pinjarra Bakery, for example, will use their RED grant funding to increase production and expand their wholesale market share through their distribution centre.
We also see massive potential for tourism growth in the Peel - whether it's coastal tourism, forest-based tourism inland or food tourism across the region.
Three of the RED grants recipients in Peel focus on growing the region's tourist experience.
Visit Mandurah will create a more vibrant tourism hub, Cape Bouvard Brewing will upgrade their brewing facility to increase production and the Shire of Murray will put its RED grant funding towards the completion of a state-of-the-art technology fit-out of the Dwellingup Trails and Visitor Centre.
Food and agricultural businesses such as Southern Dirt, Grubs Up Australia and C-Wise also stand to benefit greatly from the funding.
Congratulations to the successful recipients in this round of RED grants.
These are projects that deserve to be recognised for their contribution to building a strong economy.
It was terrific to see the projects recognised for their contribution to our local communities and demonstrated an appreciation of the diversity that's required to strengthen regional economies.
A third round of REDs will open in 2020.
For more about RED grants, visit peel.wa.gov.au.
Paddi Creevey OAM is the chair of Peel Development Commission.
