High flying: Australia’s largest cannabis farm to be built at Melbourne airport

A US$74m facility is to be built at Melbourne Airport to grow and process cannabis for medical use.

The 37,000 sq m facility, the largest of its kind in Australia, will be designed by greenhouse engineer Aurora Larssen Projects and maintained by medicinal cannabis firm Cann Group.

Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne), which runs the airport, will build the project, with Cann and Aurora Larssen Projects completing fit-out and installation.

Peter Crock, Cann Group’s chief executive, said: "This site is ideally suited to our needs and the heads of agreement represents an important step that allows us to proceed with final design."

Built on a 5ha site, 170 staff will work on the facility, which has the possibility of a future expansion.

Greg Hunt, Australia’s health minister, said: "Our goal is clear: to give Australian farmers and manufacturers the best shot at being the world’s number one exporter of medicinal cannabis."

Image courtesy of Larssen Projects