More than $5.38 million in NSW grants to support the Port Macquarie economy and create 269 jobs

The funding will benefit Birdon ship builder company, HF Hand Constructors steel manufacturing business and Aus Blue Bins waste management company under the NSW government's Regional Job Creation Fund.

It was unveiled by Member for Port Macquarie, Leslie Williams at Birdon in Port Macquarie on December 16.

"A combined $5.38 million has been awarded to these companies for a range of projects that will realise an expanded their workforce which is fantastic news for our local economy and local jobs," Mrs Williams said.

"This is really significant for the Mid North Coast and will have such a positive impact on the region. These local jobs will have a positive impact on our economic particularly as we are coming out of COVID.

"The Regional Job Creation Fund allows businesses to fast track their growth plans, expand their operations and create a solid base for job creation now and into the future."

Birdon Holdings received a $4.16 million grant to build a new aluminium fabrication facility, storage warehouse and purchase of advanced dredging and survey equipment.

Birdon chief executive Jamie Bruce said they will use the funding to focus on upcoming defence contracts and building specialised military vehicles.

"We applied for this grant close to 12 months ago now and we're looking to invest about $10 million all up," he said.

"We've invested pretty heavily recently in our engineering group and everything we design will be managed out of Port Macquarie. There will be local employment and some jobs in the Hunter Valley.

"In addition to the engineering team we have a lot of defence work coming through in the next decade and that work will be done in Port Macquarie. There are contracts we have been short listed for and ones we are currently bidding for.

"We have been short listed already for amphibious watercraft for the Australian Army. We will also be bidding for landing craft in the next 12 months with the Army because they can be built here.

"This funding will help expand our manufacturing ability and it's great to see the refocus on manufacturing in Australia that has been lost for a few years. We'd like to thank the NSW government for their support of Birdon and Port Macquarie."

More than $980,000 is set aside for Aus Blue Bins to employ 49 additional staff through development of a Waste-Resource Recovery Centre based in Port Macquarie and servicing the Mid North Coast.

General manager Erin Matthews said the company will be able to provide meaningful employment for more people with disabilities in the community.

"This funding allows us to bring in a new plant and grow the volume of construction and demolition that we are able to divert from landfill," she said.

"We can also increase the number of disability employees we can provide long term meaningful work for."

HF Hand Constructors has been granted $240,000 to purchase machinery that will remove the need for items to be made manually. The increased capacity is hope to create efficiencies in production, lower material waste and provide opportunities for more apprentices.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, Paul Toole said the $130 million Regional Job Creation Fund aims to create more than 6,500 new direct jobs in regional NSW.

"Regional NSW is the backbone of our economy and the NSW Government is supporting regional businesses to expand their operations and encouraging new businesses to set up shop in our regions to support regional economies and jobs," he said.

Round two of the Regional Job Creation Fund will open in early 2022.

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