Knockrow Distillers development plans with Ballina Shire Council

The development promises botanical gins, seasonal botanical spirits, non-alcoholic beverages and more with an emphasis on bush-foods. See what’s proposed.

A new Ballina shire distillery focused on transforming bush-foods could draw in about 100 visitors a day, according to new plans.

The ‘Knockrow Distillers’ development lodged for Hinterland Way hopes to establish an agricultural produce industry building with a separate retail outlet.

Plans for the estimated $2.158 million distillery - which are before Ballina Shire Council - detail how the site would produce bulk botanical supplies, botanical gins, seasonal botanical spirits, non-alcoholic beverages and other products.

Plans for Knockrow Distillers retail outlet, which will include a tasting area. Picture: Contributed

The majority of this would be “sustainably commercialising Australian native plants, particularly ‘bush-foods’,” according to planning documents.

A small-scale tasting set up is also proposed to operate in tandem with the retail site, which will run seven days a week from 8am to 5pm, with an estimated 17 staff required.

It is expected the retail component will draw in approximately 100 customers per day at peak operations providing “an additional offering for visitors to the Shire”, the planning documents note.

Plans for Knockrow Distillery. The proposal emphasises the development’s sustainable commercialising of bush foods. Picture: Supplied.

The proposal is the brainchild of the former founders of established local botanical extract business Southern Cross Botanicals, a North Coast company which produces specialised botanical ingredients for the cosmetic industry.

It is predicted up to 500 tonnes of plant biomass will be processed per annum, with the majority being sold as dried botanicals, extract, distilled essential oil and more, planning documents reveal.

The current view for the proposed site of Knockrow Distillers. Picture: Supplied.

The 16.5 hectare site is currently home to a lemon myrtle plantation, which will be used by the distillery, and is surrounded by rural and lifestyle lots.

A pre-lodgement meeting was held with council staff in May 2021 with officers noting issues about whether the development could be classed as “small scale” and traffic safety concerns.