NEW FREIGHT HUB TO OPEN GLOBAL MARKETS TO NSW FARMERS

Western Sydney will be home to the most high-tech bio-secure agribusiness facility in Australia bringing innovative jobs to NSW, including water technologists, energy technologists, food technologists and agronomists.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian today signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Berlin with German logistics powerhouse DB Schenker to build what will be a state-of-the-art digital freight and logistics hub at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

Using the latest digital technologies to manage logistics and temperature control, the hub will allow fresh produce from NSW to be transported from local paddocks to international plates in under 36 hours.

"This new facility will link our growers and producers with the rest of the world and establish NSW as a leader in agribusiness," Ms Berejiklian said.

"From tomatoes, lettuces or lobsters, a farmer's produce will be packed at 6pm, flown out at 9pm, be sold in international cities at 5am the next day and then served at a restaurant by midday."

Ms Berejiklian said the facility would create hundreds of jobs across the State while showcasing the incredible produce that is grown every season.

"This facility will be a huge boost for our local farmers and producers and will open up a global market that was previously unavailable to them," Ms Berejiklian said.

"From Western NSW to Western Sydney hundreds of jobs will be created across NSW requiring truck drivers, baggage handlers, logistics specialists and electronic engineers to support with delivering fresh food across the globe."  

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the new state of the art hub would make the Aerotropolis a highly desirable location for companies and producers looking to expand globally.

"Freight and logistics are a clear competitive advantage for Western Sydney. This partnership is about learning for the best in world so Western Sydney maximises new technology and future jobs growth," Mr Ayres said.

The new MoU builds on the NSW Liberals & Nationals election commitment to develop an agribusiness precinct at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. Western Sydney currently has the largest food industry in Australia and fresh food export is the fastest growing international market.

With 78,000 employees around the world, DB Schenker is one of the world's leading providers of transportation and integrated logistics services. It has had a presence in