NAMBEELUP, WESTERN AUSTRALIA — Aryzta is planning to invest A$66 million ($44.4 million) to build a new baking plant in the Peel Business Park in the Shire of Murray in Western Australia, according to the Government of Western Australia.

Aryzta broke ground on the 270,110-square-foot parcel of land on Dec. 12. The new facility is expected to serve fast-food and retail customers and create 110 to 130 local jobs once it is fully operational in 2026. It will feature advanced artificial intelligence-driven quality assurance, robotics, storage and monitoring systems for ingredient quality and biosecurity, the Government of Western Australia noted.

According to the Government of Australia, the new baking facility will allow Aryzta to eliminate an estimated 1.7 million food miles currently involved in the transportation of baked foods to Western Australia customers from the company’s two facilities in New South Wales and Victoria.

Aryzta’s global baking network comprises 19 facilities across Europe. The company also has operations in seven other countries that service fast-food and retail customers across the Asia-Pacific region.

“It is exciting to see the Transform Peel vision come to life, particularly with a significant international agribusiness choosing to establish its first Western Australian presence in the Peel region,” said Don Punch, regional development minister for the Government of Western Australia. “Operationally, the bakery development will improve (Western Australia’s) domestic food processing capability, enabling local production of baked goods that would otherwise be imported into (Western Australia).