Grafton Brewhouse Village project: Owner Rick Firth’s concerns for Grafton brewery

Red tape could stymie grand plans for a flash dining and commercial precinct including a brewery on the NSW north coast. The mastermind behind the plans says the concept may now be “unworkable”.

160 North St Grafton where there are plans for a new brewery to replace the unused Tooheys Grafton brewery.

Ambitious plans for a $1.7 million reinvention of the historic Grafton Brewery may be in tatters due to what the owner describes as “unnecessary red tape”.

It looked like the ambitious plan for Grafton’s Brewhouse Village was one step closer to becoming a reality when Clarence Valley Council approved the development application.

But now owner Rick Firth says the long-awaited redevelopment of the historic Grafton Brewery is in doubt due to a number of conditions imposed seemingly in response to a single complaint.

In August, Clarence Valley Council approved plans lodged by Mr Firth for a craft brewery, distillery and coffee roastery at 160 North St, Grafton.

These were just supposed to be the beginning of the redevelopment of the historic 57,000 sqm Grafton Brewery site.

Mr Firth planned to turn the industrial complex into a destination for locals and visitors alike to enjoy a range of facilities including restaurants, cafes and shops.

Grafton Brewery owner Rick Firth and son Jamie Firth when they announced the masterplan for the Brewhouse Village.

“The old Grafton Brewery site lends itself perfectly to a retail and commercial precinct that will provide a real destination for people to work or come and enjoy a drink or meal,” Mr Firth said in 2021.

“Similar concepts like Precinct 75 in St. Peters, Sydney and the LX Factory in Lisbon, Portugal are both old industrial sites and very successful in attracting people for their range of creative, cultural and food offerings.”

A look inside the redeveloped Grafton Brewery site.

Now times have changed, with Mr Firth stating what was supposed to be the first cab off the ranks – the craft brewery, distillery and coffee roastery – may never be realised.

Mr Firth puts the blame on council approvals imposing over 100 conditions, including restrictive operating hours, which according to him are “onerous”.

“The proposal we submitted pays respect to the old buildings in the precinct, will create over 40 new jobs, and act as a huge drawcard for Grafton,” he said.

“It is about re-establishing manufacturing from the site of locally branded products and allowing consumers to enjoy these products where they were produced, all while being immersed in the site’s history.

The brewery, then known as the Tooheys Grafton brewery, was once a popular place for locals to catch up and employed many residents.

“However what should have been a straightforward approval process has taken almost nine months, cost me hundreds-of-thousands of extra dollars, and imposes 101 conditions.

“While I’m committed to rejuvenating the historic precinct, issues like restricted operating hours and additional costs to build footpaths outside my boundary could make it unworkable.”

The now unused Tooheys Grafton brewery, when it was in the process of expansion in 1954. Picture: The Daily Examiner.

Some of the conditions imposed by Clarence Valley Council include restricting weekday trading to 8pm and 9pm on weekends, a 200 metre footpath to Turf St which will cost over $80,000, and 14 trade waste management requirements.

“We received 33 submissions in support of the DA and 325 signatures from residences in the local area, including adjacent streets, who all understood the hours being proposed,” Mr Firth said.

“This is an established industrial precinct that has been here since the early 1950s and we really want to make a go of this, but with the added costs and limited ability to make money it might not stack up.”

Mr Firth is now seeking legal advice and potentially lodging an appeal in the Land and Environment Court.