Beerfarm, a company which already has a successful and environmentally sustainable brewery and paddock to plate style restaurant in Western Australia’s Margaret River region, has set its sights on a second location for similar businesses on the Central Coast.
The company lodged its first development application in April 2021 for a 450-seat restaurant and brewery on a 10ha site at 92 Mountain Rd, Halloran.
That DA (315/2021) is still being assessed by Central Coast Council although in September 2021 Beerfarm received $900,000 under the NSW Government’s Regional Job Creation Fund to help develop the new site at Halloran.
Thomason Brewing Pty Ltd, trading as Beerfarm NSW, lodged a second DA in July this year for a $4.7M brewery and restaurant at 45 Cooks Rd, Calga.
There are five lots in the overall 328ha site, all owned by Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures and currently used for horse and cattle grazing.
The 19ha Lot A is earmarked for the restaurant, brewery, car park and service areas which will be constructed over 3.5ha.
A single-storey complex will include a restaurant for 280 people and a large outdoor terrace dining area overlooking the rural property.
The restaurant will open every day at 11am and close at 6pm Monday to Wednesday and 9pm from Thursday to Sunday.
It is planned to operate in conjunction with the brewery and patrons will be able to undertake brewery tours and beer tastings as well as other agricultural produce (including beef from the grazing of Angus cattle) grown on the surrounding rural property.
It’s expected the brewery will produce two million litres of beer annually – 38,000 litres per week – with production operating between 6am and 7pm Monday to Friday.
The brewery will consist of a large production area, laboratory, mill, kegging and canning facilities and cool room.
Processed wastewater from the brewery process will be used to irrigate/fertilise the remaining land on the overall site currently used for horse and cattle grazing.
There also will be a retail area between the brewery and the restaurant as well as offices and staff amenities for the 40 full-time workers and 27 casual staff.
Public submissions for DA/1467/2023 will close on Friday, September 29, on Council’s website.
Sue Murray