Loyal workers at Boags Brewery were told this morning that the site will close after 144 years of brewing in Launceston.
Japanese owned multinational Lion Nathan made the announcement claiming the brewery was no longer viable with rising costs and declining beer sales.
The brewery cut production and 13 staff in 2024 and the United Workers Union warned Tasmanians that the company was on a road to full closure. Those warnings have today come to pass with the remaining 21 workers called to the office this morning and given notice the brewery will close on November 6.
UWU Coordinator Amy Brumby said that the announcement was a body blow to the workers and to Tasmania.
“These workers are devastated. They worked their guts out in 2024 and made concessions to keep their beloved brewery afloat. Hours of overtime, very reasonable claims in their industrial agreements. They did everything they could but all they gave means nothing. Brewing is their career. They’re highly skilled and experienced but where else do they go?”
“They received a million dollars from Tasmanian taxpayers in 2023 to renovate and upgrade the Boags visitor centre. It doesn’t seem right.”
Adrian Hinds has been a brewer at Boags for 22 years. He’s unsure what the future holds for him and his family.
“The majority of us have been here for 15 years plus, it’s like a family connection. That’s going to be the hardest part- losing that. We’re so loyal to the company and we put our hearts and souls into it. I’m 53, where am I supposed to start again?
Adrian said Lion Nathan made the decision to close- not Boags.
“It’s just dollars, no consideration of history or people or Tasmania. It’s freight equalisation and the container deposit scheme and the costs imposed by TAS Water.”
“Lion Nathan say they’ll make Boags at the XXXX breweries on the mainland. Tasmanians won’t drink Boags made on the mainland, mainlanders won’t drink it either- they wanted beer brewed with clean Tasmanian water.”
He sees little prospect of the brewery being sold and continuing in Tasmania.
“Lion shuts breweries, it doesn’t sell them. Look at what they did with Swan West End in Adelaide.”