Carnamah big tractor project nears completion but faces $60,000 funding shortfall

An ambitious bid to build Australia’s largest tractor and display it in a small Mid West town is nearing completion, but is facing a bump in the road with a funding shortfall. Five years of planning are coming to a head for the Vintage Tractor and Machinery Association of WA (Tracmach), however their brainchild is $60,000 short in funding. Set to be displayed in Carnamah, Tracmach is crafting a replica of a Chamberlain tractor at a 5:1 scale, standing at 11.5m tall and 8m long, with a price tag of $654,000. It is no small feat for the tractor buffs who have navigated their fair share of obstacles, with the committee determined to have the project finished in the middle of the year despite the funding deficit. The project hit an obstacle when the initial plan to site the tractor in Gnowangerup was abandoned after two-and-a-half years of planning. It was then handballed to Carnamah, where the vision progressed. Tracmach committee member Brendon Hausler can see the light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s about 80 per cent complete and they’re hoping to have everything done by June if all goes to plan,” he said. The project hit a massive milestone last June, having raised most of the $650,000 needed to make the dream a reality. About $500,000 has been sourced through community funding. Mr Hausler said the committee had not secured any funding from government, and was falling short around $60,000 but would continue to look for corporate sponsorships and donors. Part of the hefty price tag can be attributed to specialised paint used for the project, known as Cameleon, believed to have cost $200,000. Construction of the 40-tonne steel model, currently being prefabricated by Diab Engineering, is 80 per cent finished. The next step in the process is making the wheels. The tractor will be put together in Geraldton to ensure there are no errors, then disassembled and taken to Carnamah in about four trips on an oversized truck.