Shire president touts tourism wave as Dardanup council approves plan for Ferguson brewery

A brewery and restaurant is on track to open in the Ferguson Valley after the Shire of Dardanup council approved plans for the development. The item was unanimously approved by the council and now opens the door for the 150-person-capacity brewery and restaurant as well as five short-stay chalets to enter the next stage of planning. An existing farm shed will be converted into the brewery and restaurant with another shed converted for barrel storage and an external decking area. The development will be allowed to open between 11am and 6pm on Wednesdays to Sundays and 11am to 11:30pm for special events. It will also have 41 carparking spots for the brewery along with two bays for each chalet. There is still plenty of work to be done before construction can begin with the developers still needing to submit a number of plans and assessments as set out in the council’s decision. Dardanup Shire president Tyrrell Gardiner said the project was a promising sign for a growing region. “It’s what we’ve been aiming for,” he said. “There’s been a lot of conditions brought on but hopefully we’ve satisfied the neighbours that we’ll do the right thing. “It’s exciting, it’s another option for people to see when they get up to the (Ferguson) Valley.” Cr Gardiner said he hoped the region would continue to grow along with more development. “In the new town planning scheme we’re sort of encouraging it with a rezoning of the valley, so this is the start of a new wave or new generation of tourism developments in the area,” he said.