Media Release 11 March 2004

Horticulture plan’s further growth with seed funding.

Coastwide Growers Association (CGA) has received funding assistance of $20,500 from The West Coast Development Trust for the first year of planning and development of a Horticultural Park Project.

The West Coast Economic Development Strategic Plan identifies horticulture as a key area for development. The West Coast has already seen the introduction of businesses throughout the region in a variety of horticultural products including fruits and nuts, flowers and growing plants hydroponically. An enlarging industry will create spin offs for associated businesses also.

Coastwide Growers was formed in October 2001 as an independent, non-political group that promotes sustainable horticulture development and encourages individuals who have an interest in growing to communicate with each other. In 2002 a West Coast Horticultural Officer was appointed with the assistance of the Local Authorities and the Community Employment Group. There are some 200 people on the CGA mailing list with an interest in the horticulture industry on the West Coast and of these 76 are CGA members with commercial interests in horticulture.

“The development of a Horticulture Park will enable the CGA to thoroughly research the economic advantages of growing a wide variety of crops on the Coast. With the generous assistance from the Trust we will be able to utilise the expertise of consultants to construct a viable plan for the horticultural park, that will be beneficial to both the general public and private horticulturalists as an information and education resource”, says Bruce Truman, Chairman of the Coastwide Growers Association.

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