Sunshine Coast Council has publicly defended its compliance action against a North Arm brewery, rejecting claims it acted unfairly.
The response comes after Terella Brewing co-founder Brandt Bamford issued an open letter calling on councillors to intervene in the long-running dispute, which he says was a catalyst to the venue’s impending closure this month.
In a statement posted on its website, Sunshine Coast Council CEO John Baker said it had a responsibility to ensure all businesses operate within planning laws and under the “same rules”.
But Mr Bamford said he was disappointed by the council’s response and disputed aspects of the statement.
“I disagree with so much of that letter in terms of what has been said about us,” he told Sunshine Coast News, adding he had hoped the open letter would lead to discussions directly with councillors, but no direct contact has since been made.
In its statement, council said the property at 196 Bunya Road only holds a development approval granted in 2016 for intensive horticulture.
It goes on to say that a 2019 letter from council suggested a small-scale brewery using ingredients grown on site may qualify as a “rural industry” use that did not require development approval, but it did not permit the sale of food or drinks to the public.
“In short, you have expanded operations on the site without the necessary approvals in place,” Mr Baker said.
Council also cited complaints from residents and other businesses since 2023 regarding parking congestion, road safety, noise and waste management during events.
It said inspections later identified activities occurring without the required approvals, including large public events, leading to a show-cause notice and eventually an enforcement notice.
Mr Bamford said the business believed it had the necessary approvals to operate its brewery with on-site sales.
“We were approved for the brewery and we hold a full Office of Liquor and Gaming licence, which has all the conditions that the council set out for our operating and selling of alcohol,” he said.
“You don’t obtain a wholesale production and alcohol licence to manufacture, retail and consume on site with specific conditions without council approval.”
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The dispute has also progressed through the courts. Council has asserted Terella consented to final orders in the Planning and Environment Court on February 27, which upheld the enforcement notice, with minor amendments. Separate proceedings alleging breaches of the Planning Act 2016 are scheduled to be heard in the Magistrates Court on April 15 and 16. As the matter is before the courts, council says it cannot comment further.
The CEO’s statement also confirmed Terella withdrew its development application earlier this year.
Mr Bamford said the application was withdrawn due to mounting legal costs as the dispute escalated.
“We were fighting planning court action, fighting charges in another court, just haemorrhaging money,” he said.
“We’re in the hundreds of thousands of dollars of legal fees. We’re closed. We have no money left. We are dead. Forty people have lost their jobs. I’ve lost all my life savings.”
Mr Bamford said he now hoped council would drop the remaining legal action so he could “move on”.
“I’ve already lost everything,” he said.
In the statement, council maintained its actions were necessary to ensure planning rules were applied consistently across the region.
“To ensure fairness, council has taken the necessary action to hold Terella Brewing to the same laws, regulations and requirements as every other Sunshine Coast business.”
