By Danielle Kutchel
The first sod has been turned on a new development at Montague Orchard that will see the facility increase its export capacity while also becoming a tourism fixture in the City of Casey.
On Monday 16 September the Montague family was joined by Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan to officially break ground on a new state-of-the-art packaging and export distribution centre for the orchard in Narre Warren North.
The facility will incorporate a community engagement space, including mountain bike hire, a pick-your-own-orchard, educational hub and café.
The hospitality features will tie in with the family-owned orchard’s close proximity to Lysterfield Park, offering a hospitality option that has historically been missing from the popular destination.
As well, the distribution centre will significantly increase Montague’s export capabilities.
In addition, a 1000 square metre head office will house 70 staff.
The new centre will create 50 new permanent positions.
“The last construction we did of a packing facility was in the 1980s so this really takes us the next step,” Rowan Little, general manager of Montague Fresh, said.
Mr Little said Montague was keen to engage with the community through the centre, to help demystify the food production process.
“Some days I feel like I’m a bit like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the doors are locked and nobody can come in but product comes out.
“So to be able to open that door and say ‘come in, see what we’re doing , learn a little about local production in southern Victoria and what is unique about that’, that’s what we’re excited about, and then also finishing Lysterfield Park and creating a place where consumers can come and learn where their food comes from,” he said.
A small orchard block near the new facility has been planted with more than 70 varieties of apples and stone fruits in anticipation of the facility, which will allow for consumer testing to find out customer preferences for new fruit.
The facility will triple Montague’s packing capacity to around 60 bins per hour.
Construction is set to commence on Thursday 3 October, and will be completed around 21 October 2020.
