Zoom Garden wins RED grant to build specialised seedling greenhouse
By Gabrielle Stannus, Communications Coordinator
Left to right: Mr Shane King, Member for Kurwongbah, The Hon
Mark Furner MP, Queensland’s Minister for Agricultural Industry
Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities,
and Alistair Pritchard touring Zoom Garden’s greenhouses
(Image: Mark Furner MP for Ferny Grove via Facebook)
Zoom Garden have received a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant of up to $200,000 from the Queensland Government to expand their business and meet consumer demand for their herb and vegetable seedlings.
Zoom Garden has seen a 30% increase in demand for seedling products since the start of the pandemic, inspiring the need for a new specialised greenhouse.
The RED grant will allow Zoom Garden to construct stand-alone production and growing areas for herb production only at its Burpengary nursery. When this 6,000m2 greenhouse is complete, up to 18 full-time jobs will be created.
Chief Executive Officer of Zoom Garden, Alistair Pritchard says the greenhouse will enable the business to meet consumer demand whilst creating a more sustainable product.
“The greenhouse will also allow us to isolate the herb and vegetable seedlings from the rest of our business and we can insect-proof the facility,” says Alistair, “This results in a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable product for our customers, which is consistent with consumer trends on food safety."
Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) would like to congratulate Zoom Garden on being awarded this grant. Zoom Garden is accredited under our Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia (NIASA), as well as EcoHort, our environmental management system for the Australian nursery industry. We hope that Zoom Garden’s success will inspire other production nurseries to follow their lead, and further improve their business sustainability whilst addressing environmental and natural resource management responsibilities.
If you would like assistance to help your production nursery produce plants more sustainably, please contact the GIA National Biosecurity and Sustainable Plant Production project team via email: biosecure@greenlifeindustry.com.au, identifying your state, and the relevant Extension Officer will contact you.
For more information about the RED Grant scheme, please visit www.qrida.qld.gov.au.