Transform Peel is a 35-year visionary project to create new industries, more jobs and improved food security, through innovation, research and collaboration.
To achieve this, the project aims to capitalise on the Peel region’s unique peri-urban location and proximity to existing export infrastructure. The Peel region is in a strong position to take advantage of existing and emerging market opportunities and to become a regional hub for innovation in food and agriculture.
Historically, Peel’s population growth has been driven by lifestyle-based migration, rather than driven by employment, which is why approximately 28.6% of people living in the region travel to employment in the Perth metropolitan area (refer to Department of Training and Workforce Development 2015 and Peel Workforce Development Plan 2015-2018).
Transform Peel represents a significant opportunity to increase the region’s employment self-sufficiency, particularly through food and agricultural innovation.
As the population in Peel continues its rapid growth trajectory, we must establish and pursue long-term plans that address the need for industry and job growth to sustain the growing population.
The region’s long-term visionary projects, Transform Peel and Transform Mandurah will create more jobs by supporting the growth of new industries like;
- Food manufacturing & intensive food production
- Research and development
- Manufacturing
- Knowledge economy industries and sectors ∙
- Mining
Taking an integrated approach, Transform Peel aims to build regional resilience and promote economic development encompassing innovative water, energy and waste management solutions combining three strategic initiatives; Peel Business Park, including the WA Food Innovation Precinct, the Peel Agri Food Study and the Peel Integrated Water Initiative.
Peel Business Park, the centrepiece of the Transform Peel project, is designed with a focus on agri-innovation and industry that includes the Shire of Murray’s Agri Innovation Precinct.
Peel Agri Food Study, supports Peel’s suitability for innovative food technology solutions in producing high value product for domestic and global markets.
Peel Integrated Water Initiative addresses future water demands and environmentally responsible water management solutions.
Peel’s Natural advantage
Transform Peel leverages the region’s advantages and opportunities of proximity to transport routes of road, rail, air and ports and a shared time zone with developing Asian markets. A rapidly growing population, access to onsite research, development and training facilities, and best practice food provenance represent the depth of this opportunity. Transform Peel is located at Nambeelup in the Peel region of Western Australia, approximately 75km south of Perth.
This unique peri-urban location, with its proximity to existing export infrastructure, creates a distinct advantage for capitalising on existing and emerging market opportunities that will help establish Peel as an food innovation and agriculture hub. The project combines a strategic location, a time zone shared by more than 60% of the world population, research and data to fast track investment analysis, the flexibility of tailored investment packages and the synergies of an innovative industrial ecosystem for the future.
Moving into Phase 2
Transform Peel Phase 1 was identified by activation ventures. Heavily characterised by research and planning, many of the project’s key activation milestones have now been achieved and continue to gather momentum as the project moves into the consolidation, investment attraction and new initiatives of Phase 2.
Peel Business Park, the flagship project of DevelopmentWA’s Industrial Lands Authority, is positioned as WA’s home of agri-innovation and industry, features WA’s only Food Innovation Precinct designed and delivered by the Shire of Murray, and the Renewable Energy Industrial Microgrid, one of the first of its kind in Australia.
This article was first published in the Peel Magazine, Spring/Summer 2020, Vol 6.1, To read and download the full magazine, click here .