Bundaberg Brewed Drinks is progressing plans for a new brewery, lodging a development application for a processing and bottling facility in preparation for major long-term growth.
The Bundaberg-based family-owned business has been operating for 51 years and distributes its premium brewed soft drinks nationally and globally to more than 30 countries.
The plans to expand brewing capacity are all part of the iconic brand’s ambition to become a super brewery, already utilising industry-leading advanced manufacturing technology.
Bundaberg Brewed Drinks has previously received initial building approval for its proposed new brewery and confirmed it will remain in the Bundaberg Region, with the exact site yet to be formalised.
CEO John McLean said the development of the future brewery was 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,” Mr McLean said.
“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.”
Bundaberg Brewed Drinks said the existing Bargara Road brewery would remain in operation, and investment in its capability would continue to meet growing global demand.
The development application, lodged over land on Kay McDuff Drive, features a building that would include a 6568 sq metre warehouse and logistics area.
Storerooms, a brewing area and a research lab would cover a further 8512 sq m.
It would also include an increased office and administration area over 3500 sq m.
The facility has been granted preliminary building approval. however the applicant is now proposing a number of changes which require it to be assessed through Council’s planning scheme.
One of these changes is to increase the building height to 25 metres.
“The majority of [the] development would have a building height less than 20 metres as only the warehouse spaces would exceed this requirement,” the application said.
“The additional height is required to accommodate electronic storage and pallet racking equipment.”
The applicant believes the building would contribute to the visual character of the area.
“It would be constructed with a combination of horizontal and vertical colorbond cladding and concrete tilt panels, and the roof would be articulated and modulated to help reduce the overall visual bulk.”
The new application is also seeking to reduce the total number of carparks at the bottling facility to 177 with 10 bicycle spaces.
“A maximum of 101 employees would be employed on-site at any one time, and additional parking would be available to accommodate incoming and outgoing vehicles during staff shift changes,” the application said.
