After a two year journey from a greenfield site, the Katherine cotton gin is on track to be a key player in the northern Australian cotton industry with first bales now processed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
WANT Cotton's project coordinator Sue Brosnan said as the first bale through the gin had originated from the century-old Tipperary Station, it was likely it would end up being kept as a reminder of what they had achieved.
Ms Brosnan said the opening of the facility was "a game changer" for the local agricultural community and wider industry.
Ms Brosnan said the financial benefits for cotton farmers would be fantastic.
"In the past all the local growers past would pick our cotton at the same time, then would be competing with transport companies to try and book the loads to go to Dalby or Emerald," she said.
"We were alright as we had our own truck and driver, but it could take him three days each way and then he'd have a day off.
"So it could take six months as he would start straight after we picked in June and the final load would be delivered just before Christmas."
Ms Brosnan said the new gin would contribute to easing local issues, including jobs for the community and giving graziers access to cotton seed for supplementary livestock feed.
"At the moment while we are commissioning all the machinery we are running one shift with around 15 people," she said.
"When we have finished this and it is all running smoothly we hope to have three shifts a day.
"At this stage when the gin runs 24 hours a day it will be capable of producing 1000 bales during this period."
The gin is owned by a group of Western Australian and Northern Territory cotton growers at the site 34km north of Katherine, which was formerly part of Tarwoo Station.
According to WANT Cotton Company director David Connolly, building the cotton gin from the ground up had been a long process and had been "all hands to the grindstone" to get it complete.
