Small and medium food and beverage manufacturers across Tasmania are receiving support from the federal government to cut their energy costs, so they can invest in their business and employ more locals.
Through the food and beverage round of the Energy Efficient Communities program, 27 food and beverage businesses across the state have received grants of up to $25,000.
The $635,849 in total funding for Tasmanian businesses will help lower their energy bills and reduce emissions by upgrading to more energy efficient appliances including refrigeration, carrying out energy audits and installing energy monitoring equipment.
The successful recipients include the Devil’s Own Ice Creamery, Meru Foods and Mr Brown and Towns mushrooms in Launceston which will make improvements to their energy efficiency, Giodonda Coffee Roasters in Turners Beach and Belgrove Distillery in Kempton which will make upgrades to their distillation process.
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, said a key part of supporting Tasmanian businesses to rebound from the pandemic is by reducing overheads like energy.
“The food and beverage industry underpins a stronger Australian economy as the largest manufacturing sector, employing one in four manufacturing workers,” Taylor said.
“These grants build on more than 2,500 solar and energy savings grants already awarded to community groups and businesses across Australia under the Morrison government.”
The Energy Efficient Communities Food and Beverage Manufacturing Business Grants program opened in January 2022, for grants of between $10,000 and $25,000 available to food and beverage manufacturing businesses with under 200 employees.
The federal government will aim to continue supporting SMEs in cutting energy costs through a new $60 million Powering Business grants program and a $17.9 million expansion to the Business Energy Advice Program.