ONE of Tamworth's longest established businesses is preparing to clear out of its long-time Tamworth home to develop a multi-million dollar farming operation at Loomberah.
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Penford Australia recently sold its Scott Rd farming site to Tamworth businessman and farming manager of the site Bill Wilson for an undisclosed sum.
Mr Wilson said he had plans to develop part of the site, but said it would be some time before any firm plans for development were announced. Development of the site is also reliant on the future rezoning of the land.
Funds from the sale have been used to purchase Whitebox Farm, a 181 hectare property at Loomberah where the company will continue their farming operations.
Funds will also go towards constructing a pipeline to transport wastewater from the company's Marius St grain processing mill.
The purchase agreement allows Penford to lease back the land to continue their farming operations on the Scott Rd site, until such time as the pipeline is completed and the Whitebox farm is fully operational. Water treatment facilities currently on the Scott Rd site will continue to refine the company's wastewater output before it is used to irrigate the Whitebox farm.
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Approximately 10km of pipeline will be required to transport the wastewater between the two sites, with the pipeline expected to run underground along the existing Calala Lane easement.
The pipeline is expected to be between 150-250mm in diameter, capable of carrying the 70 cubic metres of wastewater processed per hour at the Scott Rd site to the Whitebox farm. The piped wastewater will effectively drought-proof Penford's sorghum and lucerne crops and allow two crops of the cattle fodder to be harvested each year.
Penford operations manager Henry Segerius said the decision to move the company's farming operations had been made to clear the way for the further expansion of Tamworth.
"It has become necessary to discontinue the use of the existing irrigation area due to its proximity to the rapidly growing Tamworth city," Mr Segerius said.
Mr Segerius said the company had decided to purchase the Whitebox site after investigating a number of properties surrounding Tamworth.
"We looked at a number of farms, but this one had the best soil conditions for what we were after," Mr Segerius said.
The company is currently drawing up a development application for the pipeline to be put before Tamworth Regional Council, with a raft of environmental impact studies to be completed before the development is approved.
Penford Australia aim to start building the pipeline by 2007, with construction expected to be completed within a year. The company is preparing to mail out a three page letter to residents surrounding the proposed pipeline to inform them of the details of the development.
"We are going to inform the public and let them know we are taking great care to be environmentally responsible and cause minimal disturbance," Mr Segerius said.
