Planning green light for Kununurra’s $40m cotton gin

A $40 million cotton gin facility proposed for Kununurra has been given the green light by an assessment panel, paving the way for the project which is forecast to deliver at least $250m of direct public benefit to the region. Approved by the Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel on Friday, January 20, the move allows the Kimberley Cotton Company to move to civil design and specifications for the cotton gin processing facility on Lot 510 Mulligans Lagoon Road, 17km north of Kununurra. The approval provides a four-year window for development to “substantially commence”, with approval lapsing if the window is not met. The project is set for 65 hectares of land 17km north of Kununurra and is estimated to deliver $250m in public benefits and more than 70 jobs, not including indirect business and employment opportunities, to the region. The major milestone comes after a successful few months for the Kimberley Cotton Company. In November 2022, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation granted the Kimberley Cotton Company permission to clear the native vegetation. The company also announced in November it had reached its funding milestone following a $34m boost from the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. KCC revealed the gin will be ready in time for the 2025 picking season, with exports of the Ord crop to begin soon after. “The gin has been designed to allow for further expansion with an initial processing capacity of up to 100,000 bales per year,” a KCC statement said. “A local cotton gin brings diversity to the region and will have generational economic benefits for the region.”