News

Earlier this week, the announcement of the closure of Boag’s Brewing in Launceston came as a bit of a shock for the local community and the brewing industry across Australia.

First and foremost, our thoughts are with the 42 impacted staff, their families, and the local community. The IBA has been asked for comment in a wide range of media, and our focus has been on explaining the burgeoning costs associated with making beer and the need for the Federal Government to deal with the excise tax. Boag’s is not alone in feeling the pressures that ultimately saw Lion make a business decision.

In Tasmania, independent breweries have been making it clear that they remain open, are still local, and still rely on the pristine raw ingredients that the State is well known for.

Van Diemen Brewing reminded everyone that local isn’t just a label. It’s the people, the ingredients, the stories and the place behind every beer.

While Communion Brewing, Buttons Brewing, and Island State Brewing have joined forces to encourage beer drinkers to support locally brewed products as they come to terms with the news that Boag’s will no longer be made in Launceston.

Tasmania’s independent breweries contribute over $138 million to the economy and generate employment for over 1500 people. In 2024, the Rockliff government supported the Beer Tasmania Strategy, which aims to grow the sector further.

Lion has committed to returning to the Tasmanian Government the $1M of funding it received in 2023, and Premier Rockliff has committed to reinvesting those funds in Tasmania’s north.

Today, the IBA wrote to Premier Rockliff asking for those funds to be reinvested in the local brewing community.

“In 2023, the IBA acknowledged that the $1M grant to Lion was about preserving heritage in Launceston, with those funds being returned to Government, the best investment that could be made to protect the legacy of brewing in Tasmania is to invest in locally owned independent breweries.

Our letter to the Premier aims to build on the momentum behind the Tasmanian Beer Trail and start a conversation about a real contribution to breweries that contribute so much to communities in Tasmania,” says Sabrina Kunz, Chief Executive Officer.

Thanks to our Regional Cluster Lead, Sam Reid, from Ducane Brewing, for partnering with us to ensure we secure the best outcome for breweries in Tasmania.

We don’t expect the media interest in the story to slow down any time soon, and encourage all of our members in Tasmania to advocate for the reinvestment of those funds as we have outlined in our letter. The more we are all singing from the same song sheet, the harder our sector is to dismiss and the stronger the momentum.