New Norfolk Distillery Expansion Project

27/06/2024

Tonight, New Norfolk Distillery Expansion Project, directly addressed Mayor Dracoulis at the Derwent Valley Council meeting, over her unauthorised release of confidential documents at a Labor branch meeting, for political gain. Statutory declarations and multiple witnesses, including the President of the Legislative Council, Hon. Craig Farrell, substantiate these claims. Mayor Dracoulis called the member of Derwent a liar and questioned his integrity while boasting about her own during the council meeting.

Last year, Mayor Dracoulis leaked sensitive NND information, betraying our trust and the community’s confidence to boost her political standing within the Labor Party. This led to the devastating end of our NND Expansion Project (NNDXP), costing the town jobs that would have been created from the project and essential apprenticeship opportunities.

While we feel vindicated that our concerns were valid, it's disheartening to witness such blatant corruption from one of our leaders. All we have ever wanted to do is have the Derwent Valley recognised for what it has to offer, which is its beauty, great food, amazing rums a whole lot more. We are saddened that the New Norfolk Distillery Expansion Project will no longer continue however we are happy that this will soon be behind us. We still endeavour to have the Derwent Valley be the home of rum and look forward to our business growing here.

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10/11/2023

Farewell to the Past, Toasting to the Future 🥃

It is with a sense of reflection and optimism that we share some updates with you about the New Norfolk Distillery Expansion Project. Our cherished family-owned distillery at 60 Humphrey Street, New Norfolk, will continue to thrive as the heart of Rum in Tasmania, welcoming visitors and Very Important Rum Drinkers (VIRDs for short) with open arms. While we are navigating changes, we want to focus on the positive aspects of our journey.

Despite facing challenges, we are committed to maintaining the vibrancy of our unique location in Willow Court. While we must express our disappointment in announcing the termination of our lease with the Derwent Valley Council. Our parting of ways with the Derwent Valley Council will allow us to prioritise positive growth and collaboration. We have decided to redirect our energy toward fostering an environment that aligns more closely with our values.

While we acknowledge past difficulties, we choose to look forward with optimism. Our approved building and planning plans, coupled with government funding, provided a strong foundation for the future. Although our experience has been marked by delays and the New Norfolk Distillery Expansion Project won't continue into other parts of Willow Court, we are confident that the resilience of our team and the community will overcome any hurdles.

Changes in leadership, including the dismissal of General Manager Dean Griggs, and with Michelle Dracoulis Mayor of Derwent Valley Council being appointed Mayor, prompted a re-evaluation of the Council's approach. This resulted in our project no longer continuing, and challenging times commencing for numerous Derwent Valley based institutions such as the Derwent Valley Arts, the New Norfolk Rowing Club, the Derwent Valley PCYC, Tasmania's Most Haunted and the Derwent Pony Club, who are looking set for similar disappointing exchanges with the Council either now or in the near future. Regardless of this, we believe in the potential for positive collaboration and progress. New leadership in the future will offer an opportunity for fresh perspectives, and we are hopeful for a more harmonious relationship with the council in the future.

As we transition, we want to express our gratitude for the unwavering support you've shown us. Your encouragement has been a driving force behind our endeavours. We remain dedicated to contributing to the prosperity of New Norfolk and fostering a brighter future for all.

While challenges lie ahead, we encourage a collective vision for progress. Our town has incredible potential, and with unity and shared goals, we can overcome any obstacles. We believe in the resilience of our community and look forward to the positive developments that lie ahead.

Thank you for standing by us through thick and thin. Together, we can create a future filled with promise and prosperity for New Norfolk.

07/11/2023

📢 **Surprising Announcement!** 😲🤯

We can hardly believe it! Just when we thought things couldn't get any more unexpected, we received news that our lease has been terminated at Willow Court by Michelle Dracoulis Mayor of Derwent Valley Council of the Derwent Valley Council via Media Release. It's disheartening that media outlets are discovering this information before we do, but we remain positive and determined to overcome this hurdle. 🏢

Amidst all this, we want to assure you that we still own and operate our distillery at 60 Humphrey Street, New Norfolk, where we are operating our award-winning rum-dedicated distillery.

To be clear, we've received no official notice from the council about this development, despite being in ongoing legal discussions regarding our lease with them. We are eagerly awaiting to hear from the council about this matter, and we truly hope to hear from them soon.

Stay tuned as we navigate this unexpected twist in our journey, and we'll keep you all updated. Thank you for your continued support! 🙏 New Norfolk Distillery

07/06/2023

MEDIA RELEASE

New Norfolk Distillery withdraws from grant process

New Norfolk Distillery has announced it is withdrawing from the grant application process with the State Government that would have assisted the redevelopment of Willow Court, as continued delays and politicisation of issues by the Derwent Valley Council are making it extremely difficult for the business to meet its grant conditions.

Distillery Director, Tarrant Derksen said it was disappointing that after five years of hard work and over $200,000 invested in the project, to have an apparent reversal by Council with regards to their approach to the redevelopment, the organisation simply had no choice but to withdraw from the process.

“This development was going to be an important part of revitalisation of Willow Court, which is much needed and long overdue, creating 40 jobs during construction, 40 jobs once complete and investing $6.5 million in the local community,” Mr Derksen.

“Instead, we now have a situation where yet again, the Derwent Valley Council has said no to development at Willow Court, leaving the site to become more derelict.”

Mr Derksen added that the politicisation of the project by the Labor Party was unfortunate, given it was a Labor Government who originally dumped Willow Court on the Derwent Valley Community, 23 years ago.

“As a result of the combined actions of the Derwent Valley Council and the Labor Party, Willow Court will now miss out on much-needed investment and a message has been sent to investors in Tasmania, beware you might become political roadkill for a reckless Labor Party through no fault of your own."

“Perhaps the local member for Lyons, Bec White, could tell us her plan for the site now that no one is going to be investing in it and how she obtained commercial in confidence information? Or maybe she could tell her Labor party colleague Michelle Dracoulis Mayor of Derwent Valley Council her plans for Willow Court?”

“It’s shocking the amount of commercial in confidence information that has leaked from the Derwent Valley Council including our letter and lease document and how her own local community is being used for political leverage.”

“We have acted with integrity on this matter at all times, and our only desire was to build a world class tourist attraction in the beautiful Derwent Valley”, Mr Derksen concluded.

31/05/2023

📢 Important Announcement: Withdrawal of Offer to Purchase

Hello Community and Supporters,

It's been long overdue for the council and Michelle Dracoulis Mayor of Derwent Valley Council to get their act together and stop playing politics with our town. For full transparency, we believe it's high time the council tells the truth and shares their plan to ensure the success of our project. The decision to dispose of the buildings was made years ago, and the recent "intention to dispose" agenda item is nothing but misleading. It's clear that with every vote the mayor made against the motions that she is playing politics with our town and we’re calling it out.

As stated in the Gazette and after careful consideration and legal advice, we've made the difficult decision to withdraw our offer of $450,000 for the two buildings necessary for our project. The acting GM demanded a sale proposal from us and allowed us a mere six hours to come up with the amount. It's worth also noting that this offer aligns with the Derwent Valley Council's own EOI process, strategic plans, previous decisions of council and their own valuation price in which this is the maximum offer allowed. Now, we find ourselves contemplating our plans, re-evaluating our future in the Derwent Valley and exploring other options.

We've carried the burden of this project on our own until now and we've reached our limit. We now expect the DV Council, who claims to be our partner, to step up and demonstrate their genuine commitment to fixing Willow Court and bringing job opportunities and vitality back to the valley.

We are granting the Derwent Valley Council a deadline until next Friday to contact us and arrange a meeting. We expect them to present actionable items for discussion and agreement during the next council gathering. We sincerely hope that the mayor or acting GM will take responsibility and proactively schedule this meeting, rather than evading their obligations.

Regardless of the outcome, we firmly believe that it's time for real progress and decisive action.

Thank you once again for standing by us. It’s bout damn time to fix Willow Court.

26/05/2023

THANK YOU DERWENT VALLEY

NND ❤️ DV

We’d like to thank the Derwent Valley Community for their support on this project. After last night’s council meeting, we will be taking the weekend to consider our next steps and what it means for the project. We were disappointed with the result and need to consider what words of our elected members mean.

In the meantime we would like to send some thank you’s 😃

THANK YOU to the over 50 people including many high school students who emailed in about training and jobs as an EOI. We care about your future and we’re looking forward to speaking at New Norfolk High next week.

THANK YOU to the 109 local people who sent in a letter of support. As each one was individually written, it shows the depth of the how much the community wants this.

THANK YOU to the people who shared and liked our posts and have been having discussions about what positive our future might be in New Norfolk. It’s great to see so much support.

THANK YOU to those people who messaged us privately to check on our own mental health - it’s seems like some have a vendetta against our family and having our personal addresses posted, parents mentioned and confidential information made public takes it’s toll.

We are a local family, here in the community and we believe in this town. But there is a strong anti-development sentiment coming from the top which only recently we were made aware of.

Michelle Dracoulis Mayor of Derwent Valley Council posted on her page about making decisions for decades to come, but voted against the sale every time. Does she want inaction for decades to come like the last couple? We wouldn’t know because she didn’t speak to any motions, gave no reasons and asked not to be contacted.

This negative brigade is not reflective of our beautiful town and the wonderful people in it.

We won’t let it bring us down.

Please contact the Mayor on facebook and ask her questions you want answered. Our elected representatives need to be held accountable for their votes and actions.

23/05/2023

THANKYOU DERWENT VALLEY COMMUNITY!!

100 INDIVIDUAL LETTERS OF SUPPORT!!

22/05/2023

Big night for Willow Court and the NNDXP coming up this Thursday!

Come along and show your support on the night!

Council's May meeting will be held at the New Norfolk Courthouse, Circle Street, this Thursday 25 May, from 6.00pm.

Items on the Agenda include:
📌 Styx River Bridge replacement
📌 Derwent Valley Concert Band request for assistance
📌 Willow Court Heritage Interpretation Plan
📌 Derwent Valley Arts - Barracks License
📌 Willow Court Intention to dispose
📌 Lease - New Norfolk Distillery

The meeting agenda and Public Question Time forms are available at
https://www.derwentvalley.tas.gov.au/council-documents/minutes-and-agendas/council

This meeting is open to the public however anyone who is unwell, demonstrating fever, or flu-like symptoms is asked not to attend.

19/05/2023

Hi All - Letter from Tarrant Derksen to the Derwent Valley Community.

Dear Derwent Valley Community and Friends,

I am grateful for this opportunity to address you and share our vision for the future of our beloved town and I am reminded of some timeless wisdom given to me from a galaxy far, far away. The wisdom is "Do or do not. There is no try." This resonates with me as I am one to throw myself wholeheartedly into everything I do, and as I’ve done for the growth of New Norfolk Distillery and our Expansion Project into Willow Court, I now eagerly await the decision from our esteemed partner, the Derwent Valley Council, who has an agenda item slated for Thursday, May 25th regarding the sale price of the Allonah and Occupational Therapy buildings.

For full transparency, we offered $450,000 which is the market valuation price received by the Derwent Valley Council and we think this is a fair price.

The decision regarding the sale price of the Allonah and Occupational Therapy buildings is of utmost importance to our community. We have been acting in good faith with the Derwent Valley Council since 2019 when we began our partnership, however, if we are unable to reach an agreement, we must and will explore other options where there is amenability from local councils outside our area for larger projects and the will of their council to make them happen.

With that being said, let me emphasise why we believe our offer of $450,000 is fair and justified.

1) The valuation price is meticulously determined, considering factors like location, building condition, and potential for adaptive reuse. It reflects the true market value of these buildings.

2) With our investment of over $200,000 in permits, architectural plans, and engineering, which we’ve declared to the Derwent Valley Council to off-set our lease requirements and are able to do so as part of our lease, us at New Norfolk Distillery demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the site and our dedication to its restoration.

3) We're dedicated to creating a World Class Rum Distillery in Tasmania. We’re making an additional $4,000,000 investment which will ensure it's finished to the highest standard, enticing visitors the globe over to experience our modern facility at our home in Willow Court.

Time is the fire in which we burn, and it couldn’t be more appropriate for Willow Court. Five buildings have been razed to the ground in the past quarter of a century. There are adults in our community that have never known Willow Court to be an operational hospital. Since 2018, we have made dedicated efforts with unwavering determination to revitalise the Allonah and Occupational Therapy Buildings because we do not want another plan for these buildings to go to waste when there are no other thought out or viable plans. This will result in these buildings falling into greater disrepair with the possibility to revitalise them diminished even more. As a local family, we understand that this momentous occasion is the culmination of 37 council decisions and represents an extraordinary opportunity to breathe new life into our town after 23 years of absence of any other plans.

Looking to the future, it's clear that our path forward lies in embracing our vision and uniting as a community. We can't turn a blind eye to the past but instead choose to honour it by creating a place of remembrance within our new facility. Collaborating with Heritage Tasmania and engaging with those who have worked and lived within these now abandoned buildings, we're determined to transform them into a vibrant and welcoming space. It's been a long road over the past 23 years, marred by negativity and inactivity, but now it's time to forge new positive memories into Willow Court.

Imagine a future where the Allonah Building is no longer the vacant asylum building of years bygone, but a hub of celebration, warmth, and community. A place where weddings, birthdays, and engagements are joyfully commemorated, where people gather to immerse themselves in music, savour our award-winning rum and enjoy what our valley has to offer. It's a space where younger jobseekers can find inspiration, starting careers, honing their craftsmanship, and building upon their already gained experiences.

With 80 jobs on the horizon, we cannot underestimate the impact this endeavour will have on our community.
While we acknowledge that other ideas have been put forth for these buildings, it's essential to recognise that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. The calls from our community have been heard, and the winds of change and excitement are palpable. We commend the work of Corumbene in their adaptive reuse, as well as the Agrarian Kitchen’s exceptional garden and restaurant. As we step into this transformative project, the New Norfolk Distillery will be the final piece of a fantastic puzzle that propels our town forward.

These buildings have lived long, it’s time to let them prosper.

Now, to show your support for our project, you can contact the head of the Derwent Valley Council, Mayor Michelle Dracoulis via email ([email protected]) or on Facebook.