Purple chip processing receives green light from Colac Otway Shire
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Published on 11 April 2019
Purple chip processing receives green light from Colac Otway Shire
Colac Otway Shire Council has reduced parking requirements at a Gerangamete property to allow the landowners to value add to their purple potatoes by introducing a chip processing plant.
Shire Mayor Jason Schram congratulated the planning permit applicant and also Council’s Planning and Economic Development officers on working together toward the innovative on-site expansion of the local Otways business which will create seven new jobs and improve the industry’s sustainability.
Council approved a planning permit to allow the landowner to use existing buildings on the property for potato processing, reducing the requirement of 29 car-parking spaces to nine spaces.
“The owners of the land on Seven Bridges Road have been growing potatoes at this site for over 30 years and have worked with the Victorian State Agricultural Department for over 20 years developing new varieties of potatoes.
“They have a 25-year licence, with 24 years to run, to grow coloured potatoes and will now be able to add value to their product with the introduction of a crisp/chip processing plant.
“The owners currently grow about 1,500 tonnes of potatoes a year and have about 300 head of stock.
“In 2016 they launched the brand DK's Purple Potato Chips, producing about 200,000 packets of chips over three trial runs.
“Council has granted the planning application subject to 15 conditions which address a range of land-use issues including wastewater, loading and management of the processing plant.”
Production of purple potato crisps/chips will include cutting washed potatoes prior to frying, spinning the crisps/chips in a centrifuge to minimise the oil content, then inspecting and seasoning, before automatically packing into bags, weighing and boxing.
Six staff will be employed to operate the plant, along with one administration person and there will be no retail sales from the farm, only wholesale deliveries.