Visy has opened its new $175 million corrugated box factory in Hemmant, Queensland, which it says is Australia’s most advanced, and has the capacity to produce one million boxes a day.
The new factory – officially opened by Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick and Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic – will make cardboard boxes for Queensland’s food and beverage companies, farmers and growers.
The opening of the new factory forms part of Visy executive chairman Anthony Pratt’s commitment to invest $2 billion over the next decade - $700 million of that in Queensland – to reduce landfill, cut emissions, and create thousands of green collar Australian manufacturing jobs.
“The Queensland government has created a great business environment for manufacturers to invest and grow in Queensland,” Pratt told an audience of CEOs and representatives from Queensland’s largest food and beverage companies.
“We’ve invested $175 million to build the most productive and technically advanced corrugated box making facility in the country. We’ve installed the latest 2.8m wide corrugator – the most modern corrugator in the southern hemisphere.“
Instead of going to landfill or export, Visy recycles mixed paper and cardboard from Queensland business and households at its Gibson Island recycling facility, and remanufactures it into 100 per cent recycled paper.
The new Hemmant factory will use the 100 per cent recycled paper to make corrugated boxes for the state’s farmers, and for food and beverage companies.
“We are transforming Australia’s recycling and manufacturing, and creating thousands of green collar jobs,” Pratt explained.
“100 per cent recycled boxes from this facility are one of the ways we’re using all of Australia’s paper and cardboard, so it doesn’t have to be landfilled or exported.”
The facility will directly employ 100 Queenslanders, in ongoing green-collar manufacturing jobs on-site. Following completion of the factory, Visy now employs 1000 Queenslanders.
