22Mar2022 The Shire of Dundas is one of five recipients to receive funding through round four of the Regional Economic Development (RED) ... The Shire of Dundas is one of five recipients to receive funding through round four of the Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants announced recently. The Shire will receive $200,000 towards its hard wood timber project in Norseman. The project, a collaboration between the Shire, Ngadju Traditional Owners, the Forest Products Commission and local mining companies, will see a facility built to process timber from mine sites and road clearing into a saleable product. The introduction of a new initiative in town creates local employment and training opportunities for the community, while increasing supply of local reclaimed timber both in WA and for potential export markets. Shire of Dundas Chief Executive Officer Peter Fitchat said the RED Grant funding assisted with purchasing vital equipment for establishing the facility that would help to kick start the timber initiative in Norseman. "I speak for our Shire Councillors and our community in thanking everyone who worked on developing the project and the timber trial that paved the way for this initiative, including the Ngadju Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (NNTAC) and Ngadju community, local mining companies (Pantoro and Karora) as well as the Forest Products Commission," he said. Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission (GEDC) Chairperson Sabina Shugg said supporting the establishment of a new timber waste processing facility in the Great Western Woodlands would have flow-on benefits for the local community and across the region. "The partnership approach for this project ensures a range of stakeholders are engaged and working together to create opportunities for industry training, product development and new business ventures," she said. The RED Grants program is a State Government initiative investing $40.8 million over seven years in locally driven projects to stimulate economic diversity across Western Australia. In the Goldfields-Esperance region, this round of REDs Grants supports five projects sharing in $785,000 of State Government funding. The broad range of projects aim to enhance the region’s productivity, grow partnerships, build capacity and drive sustainable job outcomes. SHARE Back To News Stories