Westbury whisky distillery hold up

By Sharon Webb

PROGRESS ON a whisky distillery planned for Westbury has hit a hurdle because of a query from TasWater. Mark Kolodziej, the proposer of the distillery, aims to produce boutique spirits for cellar door sales as well as tours of the facility and a café. But while Meander Valley councillors at their November meeting voted to amend the 2013 Meander Valley Planning Scheme to allow the change of use for the site at 67 Meander Valley Road Westbury, TasWater has requested extra information about sewage flow and water usage.

TasWater wants to determine whether there are water supply capacity constraints and whether upgrades will be necessary to service the distillery. Council officers said that under the technical requirements of the local government legislation, the TasWater query must be regarded as a ‘representation’. Meander Valley Council must report to the Tasmanian Planning Commission about the representation, delaying the project.

Council officers commented, ‘When the applicant provides TasWater with the information requested, servicing details can be finalised for any permit that may be issued by the commission.’