Big smile for brewery

Smiley Brewery will be built at 1/9 Southeast Boulevard, Pakenham. 275755_01

By Shelby Brooks

Pakenham will soon be home to its first micro-brewery, featuring a food truck style dining experience and craft beer tours.

Smiley Brewing is set to be established in a vacant factory at 1/9 Southeast Boulevard Pakenham; the culmination of seven years of home brewing by Botanic Ridge’s Trent and Kylie Butcher.

Their dream to open their own brewery was almost dashed by Cardinia Shire Council officers, who recommended councillors vote down the application at a Town Planning Committee meeting on Monday 4 April.

Instead, councillors unanimously supported the new business venture.

Westernport Ward councillor Kaye Cameron put forward the alternate motion, stating the application would “enhance the experience for people who live, work and visit the municipality” and be an opportunity to offer diverse employment and industry in Pakenham.

“I think it will be really good for the area,” she said.

“The young people who want to start this, they don’t have any backers, they are using all their own money and I think it’s just fantastic to see them having a go.”

Councillor Brett Owen said it was important to support new businesses.

“It’s supporting a local business that wants to grow and I think in these times we’ve just gone through in the last two years that’s something we can do,” he said.

“I think it’s great to have diverse uses within this employment precinct. Where most of the abutting properties close for the day, it’s great to have something open [that can provide] surveillance to reduce crime.”

Concerns there was inadequate parking was one of the main reason officers had recommended to reject the application but Mr Owen said he was “satisfied there is sufficient adjacent car parking in the area.”

There are seven parking spaces allocated to the premises, located behind the building and accessed from Commercial Drive, but the nature of the application requires 16 parking spaces.

The nine car park deficit was not a concern for councillors, who noted there was ample on street and adjacent spaces available for patrons during the venue’s opening hours.

The application states the brewery will be open to the public Wednesday and Thursday 4pm to 10pm, Friday 1pm to 11pm and Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 11pm.

“Most of the factories close at 4pm and the brewery will start their service of food at 4pm,” Ms Cameron said.

“It’s not going to hinder or impede any of the other factories during the day time.

“Saturday mornings most of the factories are closed so they won’t have any interactions of traffic.”

Councillor Collin Ross pointed out the brewery wouldn’t be the only hospitality venue in the business park.

“Directly across there’s another food place that sells breakfasts and lunch, they’re quite busy all the time,” he said.

“Parking, from what I saw at 9am almost nobody was using the front, nobody using the back and from what I understand all the people in the block haven’t objected to it.

“There are quite a few precedents where we’ve had a reduction in car parking for exactly the same reasons.”

The 90 patron hospitality venue had two objects lodged against it, however Cr Cameron stated she believed one application belonged to a vacant factory down the street while another she was unable to find which factory it had come from.