Are you considering producing beverages, such as craft beer or juices, as a business?
The Western Australian Planning Commission has produced new guidance to help navigate land use planning considerations for beverage production in WA. We’ve put together a summary to help you.
What is beverage production?
The term beverage production covers production of beverages for human consumption, including both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.
Why do specific considerations apply?
Beverage production requires access to a reliable supply of drinking water and creates trade waste, which needs to be managed safely.
In addition, beverage production sites sometimes include complementary uses such as cellar doors, taverns, restaurants, or function rooms.
For these reasons, the approvals and licences required for land use for this business model can be complex.
What are the key land use planning considerations?
The size of your operation
The scale of your beverage production will impact which land is suitable for your production, which agencies you require approval from and any ongoing requirements.
It’s important to understand the scale of what you are looking to produce – for example, you may like to run a small-scale craft brewery, rather than large-scale industrial brewery.
If you’re planning to expand or increase your scale later down the track, it’s best to include these details in your original development approval application.
This is to ensure the land is suitable for your long-term plans. It will also prevent you from needing to apply for a new development approval at the time of expansion, or risking penalties and legal implications if you expand production without approval from authorities.
Your access to water
You need to be able to access a reliable supply of drinking water. If a supply is not available from a licensed service provider, such as the Water Corporation, it may be possible to harvest rainfall or access surface and/or groundwater. However, this water will require filtration and treatment to meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
TIP: If you intend to access surface and/or groundwater we recommend checking with the Department of Water and Environmental regulation (DWER) to see if a licence is required.
How you will manage your wastewater
There are two types of wastewater you will need to think about: trade and domestic waste. These should be treated through separate systems.
Trade waste is any wastewater produced through the beverage manufacturing process, this includes beverage by-products. Some trade wastewater options include:
- Treating it to a standard to enable it to be reused as part of the operations
- Discharging to a Water Corporation managed sewer under a trade waste permit
- Onsite treatment and disposal of wastewater system
- Offsite licensed liquid waste facility (be mindful that Western Australia has limited capacity, this may only be a temporary option, and, in many places, this option is not available)
It’s important to note that these options will require additional licences and/or permits. The option that is best for you will depend on the size of your land, the volume you hope to produce, and your location.
Domestic waste is generated from bathrooms, toilets, kitchens and laundries.
If a Water Corporation managed sewer is not available, you will need to contact your local government and potentially, the Department of Health, for approval of an onsite domestic or trade waste system.
What are some other important considerations?
Some other important considerations when planning for beverage production include:
- How you would like to use the land. For example, are you thinking about adding other complementary services to your site such as a pub or event hosting, or are you only using it for beverage production? It’s important to identify all the activities you would like to run on the site before reaching the development application stage.
- The location of your beverage production site. Does the zoning match the intended use and is there enough developable area for trade waste and to meet environmental, bushfire, and minimum distance between neighbours requirements?
- Transport and parking. What volume of vehicles will visit and park on a daily basis and how frequently do heavy vehicles need access?
Tip: Land use planning considerations can sometimes be technical and require expert advice. Start by consulting your local government and other planning authorities before lodging your application.
What other approvals are needed?
You may require approval from other authorities depending on the size and scale of your intended operation. Here’s an overview of some of them:
Your local government
Your local government is typically where you’ll start your approval process. They’re also a great source of advice on the approvals you will require and can help you understand the technical information required in your proposal.
Tip: You will not be able to commence construction until you have received approval and the necessary permits from your local government. You will also need to register with your local government if you’re looking to sell food and/or provide meals.
Department of Water and Environmental regulation, Department of Health and Water Corporation
You may need to submit applications to:
- DWER or the Department of Health if you intend to:
- Take or use water from a water source or groundwater
- Manage domestic waste on-site
- Manage trade waste on-site
- Transport trade waste to an off-site waste facility
- The Water Corporation if you intend to:
o Dispose of trade waste into a sewer system
Tip: In some cases, some development needs to be approved by other parties. For example, applications in Swan Valley need to be approved by the Western Australian Planning Commission.
Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
If you choose to produce alcoholic beverages, you will need a Liquor Licence from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC). The licence type will be influenced by factors such as whether you plan to offer consumption of alcohol on your premises.
Australian taxation office
You will require permission from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to move underbond excisable alcohol. Underbond excisable alcohol is a term used to describe when excisable (commodity-based tax products such an alcohol) are under the control of the ATO.
Learn more
- Before starting your beverage production business, read the WA Planning Commission’s fact sheet
- Read our advice on talking to your local government about your new premises.
- For general information on starting a business, check out the starting and growing section of our website or contact our free business advisory service
