Bay-side brewery for Busselton

A joint microbrewery, function centre and restaurant is being touted to replace the old Nautical Lady site at the Busselton foreshore.

The City of Busselton has released the proposal from a confidential developer for public advertising, after it was unanimously supported at a meeting of the Busselton Foreshore Reference Group last month.

The proposed two-storey building has a maximum building footprint of 2100sqm plus alfresco, and requires changes to the Busselton Foreshore Master Plan and Development Guide Plan.

It would replace the proposed café site at the existing Nautical Lady tower (350sqm), which was found to be cost prohibitive in a recent expressions of interest process.

The new building would also take in the eastern-most kiosk site (90sqm) and the microbrewery/restaurant site (450sqm).

City of Busselton chief executive Mike Archer said the proposal would rationalise café and microbrewery uses in the Busselton Jetty precinct into one location.

“The proposed increase in floor area will provide greater opportunity to activate the Busselton foreshore redevelopment, ” he said.

“A future landmark building in this location will be complementary to the site and surrounding commercial, recreational and entertainment uses within the Busselton Jetty precinct.”

City officers noted in their report the proposed building would have a mass and scale larger than other buildings in the area.

However, they said this would be offset to some degree by the removal of the Nautical Lady tower and proposed café site to its north.

Geographe Bay Tourism Association acting chief executive Sharna Kearney said they were very supportive of development of a vibrant foreshore and voted to support the amendments through the BFRG.

“While the removal of the Nautical Lady has implications for our current visitor servicing location, there is no reason why this can’t be done at another high foot traffic location on the foreshore, ” she said.

Mr Archer said the unanimous endorsement by the BFRG prompted officers to send the proposed changes directly to public advertising rather than through the council. He said the proposal would have minimal effect on the current review of the foreshore redevelopment under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.