Situated north of Guyra, NSW, MLC Scot Macdonald, on behalf of the premier, Mike Baird, officially opened Costa’s third tomato glasshouse on Thursday, 28th April 2016. The large scale development brings the total area that Costa has under glass in the Guyra area to 30 hectares, spread over two sites.
The $60 million development is now at fully operating capacity with a workforce of 170 people required to grow, harvest and pack more than 210 million snacking tomatoes grown per year. The development involved construction of 10 hectares of glasshouse and has the capacity to continue and expand to 20 hectares in the future.
Mr MacDonald noted the importance of Costa’s investment to the economic development of the region and commented that it was an ‘excellent example of business investment in regional New South Wales that will have real and lasting benefit.’
“What Costas have done is not talk about regional development, but deliver regional development,” Mr MacDonald said. “The NSW Government through the Department of Industry and Guyra Council have been supportive and provided some assistance, but it is Costa that have developed the business plan; secured finance; taken the risk and gotten on with the job of building a significant, expanding enterprise making a material difference to this town and this region.”
Joining with Mr MacDonald to open the glasshouse, Mr George Haggar, Costa Group’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) said that together with Costa’s existing 20 hectares located in Elm Street Guyra, Costa now provides employment for more than 500 people and generates significant economic activity in the Guyra and New England region.
“I want to thank and acknowledge the New South Wales Government and Guyra Council for their support in helping to make this investment a reality,” Mr Haggar said. “I also want to make special mention of our local Costa people and the fact that over the decade or more that we have been operating in Guyra our workforce and key local people have done an outstanding job in establishing Costa as leader in protected cropping and glasshouse horticulture.”
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