Cascade to get $10.3m top-up

Head start for famous brewery

TASMANIA could become a leading Australian producer of craft beer, as part of a $10.3 million expansion of one of the state’s most iconic breweries.

Bolstered by a $1 million grant from the Office of the Coordinator-General, Carlton and United Breweries’ (CUB) would embark on a major expansion of its Cascade Brewery in Hobart, Premier Will Hodgman announced while on the campaign trail yesterday.

Mr Hodgman said the expansion would result in a 65 per cent increase in production with most of CUB’s small batch and craft beers to be brewed in Tasmania.

He said Cascade would become a beer and cider innovation hub where new beers would be tested for CUB’s Asia Pacific operations.

Mr Hodgman — whose grandfather was a head brewer at Cascade — said it would also secure the existing 86 jobs at the brewery while also creating 20 more.

“This is very much about securing jobs that could have been lost to our state,” he said. “There were proposals for other states to have similar things there but we fought hard to make sure, through the Office of the Coordinator-General, that Tasmanian jobs are being protected but also an opportunity to value add at this wonderful brewery.

“This is a significant investment in something that is classically Tasmanian.”

Work will start on the expansion this year, with newly appointed Cascade Brewery manager Anita Holdsworth saying it would make the icon front and centre of CUB’s craft beer push.

“What that means is that we are going to be brewing more unique and small batch beers here in Hobart every day, which may be exported through our breweries and through our sister businesses in India and South Australia,” she said.

At least $10.3 million would be spent on improving visitor centre facilities at the South Hobart based brewery.

Mr Hodgman said he was unaware if the Office of the Coordinator-General was also working with CUB regarding the proposed kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car. “I’m not aware of any particular negotiations and discussions of that type, our role has been to facilitate progress of this project. The real discussions and negotiations are a matter for the proponents and CUB.”