Flanders glasshouse ILVO

A new glasshouse and horticultural training centre will be built at the Chisholm Institute in Cranbourne, 43km from the Australian city of Melbourne.

The A$1.2m project will lead the way in Australian horticulture education and will be completed by June 2010, the Star News Group reported.

The glasshouse structure will cover an area of 1,000m2, and a proposal to double the size of the structure is being considered.

The project will also feature the latest training in controlled environment technology and a water treatment facility.

The Chisholm Institute’s horticulture expert Tony Bundock said the venture was a huge leap forward for Australian horticulture education.

“The industry was in need of quality training facility nationally,” he said.

Tomatoes and capsicums, which make up 80 per cent of Australia’s glasshouse industry, will be the first crops to be grown in the facility.