TENDER RELEASED FOR ROAD ACCESS CONSTRUCTION TO SUPPORT THOMAS FOODS INTERNATIONAL FACILITY.

A tender has been released for the construction of road access upgrades for the new Thomas Foods International meat processing facility, north of Murray Bridge.

The Morrison-McCormack and Marshall Governments have committed $14 million, on a 50:50 basis, to provide public road access to the multi-million dollar facility, to be built six kilometres north of Murray Bridge.

As part of this project, Rural City of Murray Bridge Council will contract manage the tender process as well as project manage the construction works that will provide a new 2.2 kilometre access road and an associated junction at Mannum Road.

The new junction at Mannum Road will include protected turning, and deceleration and acceleration lanes to assist with traffic flows along Mannum Road.

Council has now released a tender for the construction of the access road and junction.

The project will provide safe road access to the new processing facility for its anticipated 2,000 staff (when fully operational) and the higher productivity freight vehicles transporting livestock and processed goods to the site.

Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin said that the release of this tender marks another important stage in the rebuild of the TFI facility at Murray Bridge.

“In funding this project in partnership with the State Government the Federal Government is highlighting its commitment to building regional road infrastructure that is capable of unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in private sector investment. That investment will not only secure and sustain employment for thousands of South Australians but it will also lead to benefits right across the supply chain including to farmers behind the farm gate. The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced the importance of domestic manufacturing and in particular Australian food processing, this investment is a vote of confidence in that domestic manufacturing capacity,” Mr Pasin said.

State Member for Hammond Adrian Pederick said “I welcome this next step towards the building of the new Thomas Foods International facility. This new facility will support thousands of direct and indirect jobs well into the future. This investment also demonstrates the Marshall Government’s commitment to regional road infrastructure”.

The tender is expected to be awarded by end of May, with construction anticipated to commence soon after, targeting completion by the end of 2020.

For more information about the project, please visit www.dpti.sa.gov.au/infrastructure/road_projects/thomas_foods_international_access