Circular Head Council has gained $4.8 million to go towards Agritas Trade College projects. 

Tasmanian Nationals Senator Steve Martin was in Smithton yesterday to announce the funding. 

The Duck River Meadows project is made up of $2M to fund the development of a robotic dairy and $2.8M to establish an tourism and information hub at Agritas. 

The robotic dairy will be utilised commercially and for education and training purposes, and will provide insight into agricultural practices with visitors able to watch the operations. 

The development will include an automatic calf rearing system and irrigation and bore system with a dairy herd and followers at the Smithton site. 

The current Circular Head Heritage Centre will relocate to the Nelson Street trade college where it will be utilised with a visitor information centre, interactive and interpretive technology and commercial kitchen and cafe space. 

“When you’re a tourist you want to know what is unique about the place you are visiting,” Senator Martin says. 

“A visitor centre with a museum will certainly show the uniqueness and one of the gems of Tasmania, that is Circular Head.” 

Agritas Trade College chairman Daryl Quilliam says the Duck River Meadows project celebrates Circular Head’s past and future. 

“Our long term vision has been to establish a robotic dairy,” he says, providing hands-on experience to the next generation of farmers. 

“And the Circular Head Heritage Centre is an integral part of our region’s history. We’re tying in old with new.” 

Tasmanian Nationals Senator Steve Martin (centre) with Agritas Trade College board members Paul Arnold and Daryl Quilliam at the site of a new $2 million robotic dairy. A $4.8 million tourism and heritage hub will also be developed at the Nelson Street site. Picture: Ashleigh Force.