Oji Fibre Solutions has opened a new $72m cardboard manufacturing facility in Yatala, Queensland, Australia.

The company has developed the new paper-based packaging facility by using $65m Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund provided by Palaszczuk Government.

In November 2016, Oji Fibre Solutions first announced the plans to develop a new paper-based packaging facility in Queensland.

The facility in Yatala was developed to manufacture and supply corrugated packaging products for end use markets across Queensland, Northern New South Wales and Northern Territory.

Oji’s new cardboard facility will manufacture corrugated packaging products, which can be used for fruit and produce, meat, industrial, fast moving consumer goods, paper products and consumer durables.

Oji Fibre Solutions CEO Dr Jon Ryder said: “The Queensland Government is pro-business and the industry attraction program they put together has been fundamental in helping us select Queensland as the best destination for this factory.

“The Yatala factory will be home to new product development to meet emerging industry requirements, including a new packaging concept for Queensland’s banana industry using in-house design and laboratory testing in conjunction with customer field trials.”

Queensland state development, manufacturing, infrastructure and planning minister Cameron Dick said: “This project is just one of eight industry attraction fund projects announced by our government that will bring more than $230 million in investment to Queensland and generate more than 490 new direct jobs in Queensland over the next five years.”

Oji’s operates packaging facilities that produce a range of paper-based products for the horticulture, dairy, meat, beverage, seafood, reseller and industrial sectors in New Zealand and Australia.

The company’s packaging solutions include cardboard packaging, paper bags, specialty boards and paper cups.

Cardboard boxes are used for the presentation, protection, and transportation of products. Oji operates cardboard packaging manufacturing facilities in Auckland, Hamilton, Levin, Christchurch, Sydney and Melbourne.