Era was engaged to seek a rezoning and development application for a proposed whisky distillery at 99 High Street, Oatlands. Under the shadow of Australia's third-oldest windmill, the project aimed to enhance the Oatlands tourism experience without impacting the town's celebrated Colonial architecture.

Working with Cumulus Studio to ensure that the new use and built form complemented the neighbouring heritage context, Era undertook an amendment to the planning scheme to permit resource processing use on the site, prepared a development application to enable the necessary approvals from the Tasmanian Heritage Council, and secured approval for an associated bond store on a nearby site, which involved the development of a bushfire hazard management plan and emergency management plan.

Both rezoning and development applications involved an iterative planning and design process, which culminated in the necessary approvals being granted in 2018. Construction was completed in mid-2021.

Project Highlights

• Balanced heritage, industry and tourism to deliver rounded benefits for a historic Tasmanian township.

• Progressed rezoning request through Council and Tasmanian Planning Commission.

• Worked collaboratively with architect and technical subconsultants to achieve planning and heritage approval.

• Identified and implemented bushfire and emergency management requirements.