Beverage company Lion is planning the closure of its James Boag’s Brewery in Launceston by November, marking the end of 145 years of beer production at the facility in Tasmania.
According to the company, the closure is due to a long-term decline in the national beer market, which has caused the brewery to operate significantly below its capacity.
“This proposal is no reflection on the incredible capability, passion and commitment of our brewery team members, and the many more who have come before them, who have worked hard to operate the brewery as efficiently as possible despite decreasing volumes,” said Lion’s Anubha Sahasrabuddhe.
Lion has begun a consultation period with affected staff to discuss potential redeployment within its remaining brewery network.
The business has committed to meeting all redundancy obligations for staff who cannot be redeployed, while also creating a $500,000 reskilling initiative to support their transition into new roles.
While brewing operations are set to shift to Lion’s facilities on the Australian mainland, the company plans to keep the newly redeveloped Boag’s Brewhouse visitor centre open in Launceston.
In addition, the company will offer a $500,000 community fund distributed over five years to support grassroots organisations in Northern Tasmania.
Lion also confirmed it will repay a $1 million grant previously provided by the Tasmanian Government to support the redevelopment of the visitor facility.
Lion will also coordinate with the City of Launceston and the Tasmanian government on the future use and heritage preservation of the brewery site.
In April, Lion’s Voodoo Ranger introduces two new RTD flavours.
