The long-awaited Kununurra cotton gin has officially opened, bringing jobs and economic prosperity and a new era for cotton into the region.

The $60 million facility in Western Australia’s far north, is expected to process around 100,000 bales each year and may create 1000 jobs within ten years.

Cotton Australia’s Simone Cameron, and local grower Fritz Bolten were on hand to witness the opening of the gin along with local cotton growers, industry representatives and federal and state government ministers.

Cotton farmer Fritz Bolten praised all involved in the project.  “It’s taken time, resilience, and vision to establish a base crop and enterprise in this remote part of northern Australia.

“Many pioneers have come and gone, and I often think of those who paved the way — including my father, who used to say: ‘The first faces the greatest challenge, the second endures the hardship, and the third finds the reward.’ It would have been wonderful if he could have seen this.

“The opening of the cotton gin in Kununurra is a milestone that honours that legacy. It’s the foundation of an intergenerational, clean, and sustainable production system — cotton, corn, and cattle — powered by renewable energy and built for the long term. This is more than just a win for agriculture; it’s a step forward for our community and the future of northern Australia.”

Simone echoed the comments about the importance of the new facility to WA. “This is a major milestone development for cotton across northern Australia and will boost the importance of cotton across the region. Growers will eliminate the need to transport their cotton vast distances south, saving thousands in transport costs, and time.”

A group of local growers, local agricultural service providers including CGS and OrdCo,  KAI, Keep Farming, and other investors have formed the Kimberley Cotton Company which owns and supports the operations of the new facility. 

Construction manager Daniel Draheim, from Namoi Cotton, spoke to the ABC about the importance of the gin to the region.

"It's a game changer, because a big part of cotton and growing cotton is logistics. It’s really the birth of a whole industry now," he told ABC Kimberley’s Jess Baker.

The opening of the gin also heralds in new opportunities for the nearby Wyndham Port which expects to export the local bales.

The WA Government invested $9 million to enable the project, including $5 million through the WA Investment Attraction Fund and $4 million to provide land and a renewable power supply for the high-tech processing facility.

The Commonwealth Government's Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility also provided a $34 million loan for the project.

In its media release, the WA government said the 79.4-hectare gin site benefits from a 100 per cent renewable power supply using low emission hydroelectricity, which is set to satisfy global market demand for low emissions cotton fibre.