The company has applied for a planning permit from the City of Ballarat to build a new brewery on a large block of land at Gregory Street West, Wendouree.

Mr Lavery said the move, which would see Rebellion move out of its existing leased premises on Mair Street, was designed to set the company up for “the next 10 years of growth”.

“There was just no physical room to expand (at Mair Street),” he said. 

Since Rebellion’s first brewery was established at Creswick Road in 2007, the company had more than doubled in size, Mr Lavery said.

The new brewery, if approved, would have five times the floor space to cater for an expected “huge growth phase” for the company, he said.

Planning permit documents obtained by The Courier show the company has applied to use an existing building to manufacture beer and for a wine and beer producer’s licence.

Rebellion brewery has not applied for an on-premises consumption licence, however Mr Lavery believed a producer’s licence, similar to those obtained by wineries, would allow the company to serve alcohol.

“We might not have a bar there as such, but we could have occasional functions in the brewery,” he said. 

The existing building at Gregory Street West, which was originally used for heavy industry steel fabrication, would be split in two, with a warehouse on one side and a brewing and packaging area on the other.  The move confirms the rise of craft beer in Ballarat.

Last week The Courier reported that despite brewing giant SABMiller, which makes VB, Carlton Draught and Crown Lager, posting a three per cent drop in volumes in Australia during the three months to the end of June, local brewers experienced a spike in sales over the same period.

City of Ballarat general city strategy manager Natalie Reiter said online  submissions for the proposal could be made until Sunday, August 17.

Ms Reiter said responses from the public would be considered by council after that date.

william.vallely@fairfaxmedia.com.au