Proposed super brewery site revealed

A development application for Bundaberg Brewed Drinks’ new $156 million super brewery was this week lodged with council.

EMBARGO UNTIL 17/2/16 - QBM - Bundaberg Brewed Drinks CEO John McLean talks with workers Brad Pfeiffer and Jacob Britz at the Bundaberg brewery . Photo Lachie Millard

GOOD things are brewing in the rum city with a development application for Bundaberg Brewed Drinks' new $156 million super brewery this week lodged with council.

The application shows the preferred site for the facility is Kay McDuff Dr, adjoining the Bundaberg Ring Road.

A statement from Bundaberg Brewed Drinks yesterday said the new facility had been confirmed for Bundaberg, though the exact site was yet to be formalised.

It's understood the Kay McDuff Dr site is still pending final settlement, though its the focus site for the development application.

The application indicates the super brewery will have a total ground floor area of more than 38,000 sqm, not including external plant rooms.

It says the facility's 10-year employment projection would see jobs for 177 people, though only 101 would be required on-site at any one time.

 

 

Floor plans submitted with the development approval show the scale of the new Bundaberg Brewed Drinks super brewery.

 

 

Some amendments were made to the original application, including reducing the total number of parking and bicycle spaces.

In 2018, the project received $19 million in federal funding as part of the Regional Growth Fund, which provides grants for major projects that support regional job creation.

At that stage, managing director John McLean said the funding helped secure the company's position in Bundaberg, rather than being shifted abroad.

"We always looked at putting the brewery in Bundaberg but there is a lot of transportation costs and this just really helps to cement remaining local," he said at the time.

"The Bundaberg region has given us so much over the years - it's great to be able to stay here."

Yesterday, Mr McLean said: "The development of our future Brewery is a long-term project and a major financial investment for the family.

"It's imperative we approach the planning with a vision for our next generations and beyond. "There are a lot of stages associated with a development of this size and we acknowledge we are still in the planning phase, but it's great to see progress."

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