Mid West businesses share in more than $1 million as part of State Government’s REDs Grants program

Several Mid West organisations across various industries have received State Government funding to support economic diversity.

On Tuesday, 12 local businesses were awarded a share of $1.2 million as part of the Government’s Regional Economic Development Grants program.

Regional Development Minister Don Punch said the grants allowed local businesses to make a difference.

“The Regional Economic Development Grants offer a unique opportunity to diversify our regional economies and create new jobs and sustainable employment opportunities,” he said.

“Improving access to child care and housing is a major priority for the Cook Government, as is making our regional towns more liveable by attracting investment into locally based services in the regions.

“With a record $10 million on offer for Round 7 ‘Mega REDs’, we are fostering regional development that is making meaningful change, creating real jobs and diversifying regional economies.”

Since the program started, 37 Mid West projects have been given a share of $4.6m.

The share this year was nearly double the amount handed out in 2023.

Ready Set Grow Childcare Centre in Dongara was one of the biggest winners on the day, receiving a $250,000 to upgrade and extend its current facilities.

Centre owner Frits Grader said the funding would help provide a much-needed service.

“There’s a big demand for child care in the town, and we’re kind of at the point where we’re at full capacity,” he said.

“The grants now enable us to be able to expand the building and to now be able to offer additional places in the community.

“At the moment, we’re limited to the 43 places that we have, and so we’re virtually at full capacity there, so that will enable further care to be able to be provided to families in that community.”

Coral Maker was awarded $48,800 towards coral reef restoration at the Abrolhos Islands.

Founder Taryn Foster said the funding would help create bases for the damaged coral to help restore it.

“The amount will help us to get set up for our coral nursery, there’s quite a bit of equipment that we need to purchase and also infrastructure that we need to actually set up the coral nursery out there,” she said.

“If you have a degraded reef . . . a lot of the time you end up with just coral rubble in that area, and so part of reef restoration is consolidating that.

“We’ve got these stone bases that we graft the living coral onto . . . and we deploy them into these degraded areas.”

REDs round seven Mid West grant recipients

Grader Investments Pty Ltd, extension and upgrade of Ready Set Grow Child Care Centre Dongara, $250,000

The Trustee for The Geraldton Property Trust, African Reef Resort redevelopment, $150,000

Sedona WA, Dongara Tourist Park expansion, $150,000

Midwest Aboriginal Media Association, Regional Indigenous Broadcasting Hub Phase 1, $110,795

Spectrolab Pty Ltd, Spectrolab Services expansion, $100,000

DIAB Engineering, Cobot Welding, $100,000

GBSC, Geraldton modular homes factory, $100,000

The Trustee for the Finlay Trading Trust, enhancing community spaces and supporting local produce for regional growth, $82,806

The Perenjori Trust, The Perenjori Hotel outdoor expansion, $53,805

Aquila Holdings (WA) Pty Ltd, L150 industrial wash water storage and recycling, $50,000

Coral Maker Pty Ltd, research and development for coral reef restoration, $48,800

Abrolhos Aquaculture Australia Pty Ltd, hatchery production of selected blacklip pearl oyster spat for industry, $45,000