Lisarow will soon be the home of a Australian alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturer thanks to $1.755M from the NSW Government’s Regional Investment Attraction Fund.
The funding will allow Australian Beverage Contract (ABC) Filling to consolidate its existing facilities at Lisarow, expand operations and create 144 new full-time equivalent jobs, more than 120 construction jobs and retain 35 existing jobs.
ABC Filling will establish a new food and beverage manufacturing plant, research laboratory, distribution centre, a restaurant and bar, brewery tours, education facilities, conference centre and a manufacturing plant to produce hand sanitiser and disinfectant.
The expansion will also help grow its in-house brand, Hawkesbury Brewing Co, which produces a broad range of beers including pale ales, lagers, stouts and Australia’s first non-alcoholic craft beer.
ABC Filling Managing Director, Andrew Mawdsley, said the company would benefit from having all its operations consolidated under the one roof, as it streamlined processes and allowed the company to offer the best possible service.
“After careful consideration for the future of our business, we were overwhelmed by the team at the Department of Regional NSW and their support, expertise and vision for manufacturing on the Central Coast,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said ABC Filling was a world class operation with expertise in the thriving manufacturing and craft brewing sectors.
“I am thrilled we have won this investment opportunity which will bring business from interstate to our own region,” he said.
“The NSW Government is rolling out the red carpet, not the red tape, for manufacturers, and I can’t wait to deliver on the benefits that this expansion will offer the Central Coast.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro, said this was exactly the kind of project the Regional Investment Attraction Fund was designed to deliver and what the Regional Job Creation Fund was helping to bring forward with its $100M funding.
“This investment will advance manufacturing capability in the region and create training opportunities for local workers to upskill, while the new restaurant and brewery tours will contribute significantly to the Central Coast’s already diverse tourism offering,” Barilaro said.
Sue Murray