• Coopers kicks off $50m visitor centre build
• Federal grant backs SA manufacturer
• Affordable Bowden apartment development takes first residents
• Port Adelaide posts $3.4m profit

Coopers kicks off $50m visitor centre build

Chris Bate (Built), Louise Cooper (Coopers), Dr Tim Cooper (Coopers) and Tony Zappia (Studio Nine Architects) at the sod-turning event on Friday for Coopers’ new $50m visitor centre. Photo: Sarah Reed/Corporate Conversations

Coopers Brewery has released new images of its future visitor centre, microbrewery and whisky distillery at Regency Park.

Construction on the $50m development started on Friday with Coopers announcing the appointment of national construction firm Built to manage the project.

The planned visitor centre, first announced in April 2022, features a curved design and sloping amphitheatre inspired by the round Coopers label, with the building to house a 3200L microbrewery and whisky distillery along with an associated restaurant, bar and tasting room.

It is due to be completed in May 2024.

New images of the development, designed by Studio Nine Architects, were released on Friday, showing Coopers’ plans for the restaurant interior.

An artist impression of the new $50m Coopers visitor centre in Regency Park. Photo: Studio Nine Architects/supplied

“This is an exciting expansion for Coopers, and represents a significant investment for the company, with an emphasis on maximising Australian input throughout the process,” Coopers Brewery managing director Dr Tim Cooper said.

“As a proud Australian company, we hope to create a welcoming experience for local, national and international visitors, while positioning our brewery for the future.

“The feedback we’ve received from Coopers fans near and far is gratifying and their vote of confidence in this major investment is much appreciated.”

Built estimates 500 jobs will be created during construction of the development.

Federal grant backs SA manufacturer 

South Australian plastic-free wet wipes manufacturer The Hygiene Co has been awarded $645,000 from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre’s (AMGC) $30 million Commercialisation Fund, the largest sum of the six companies to receive the funding.

According to a media release from the AMGC, the fund was designed to help commercialise new manufacturing products and processes in six key areas: Medical Products, Food and Beverage, Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Recycling and Clean Energy, Defence and Space.

The now fully exhausted fund provided grants of between $100,000 and $1 million, which had to be matched by industry.

Based in Woodville North, The Hygiene Co makes entirely plant-based and plastic-free wipes.

“Wet wipes are a significant contributor to the volumes of plastic that ends up in landfill,” said company co-founder Corey White.

“Wet wipes currently create more than 30 times more plastic than plastic straws.”

White said the grant would allow him and fellow co-founder Phil Scardingo to continue in their mission of bringing manufacturing back to South Australia.

The Hygiene Co currently employs 24 people but expects this number to increase to 40 in the next 12 months.

The Hygiene Co’s CleanLIFE wipes are available in select Foodland and Chemist Warehouse stores.

– Charlie Gilchrist

Affordable Bowden apartment development takes first residents

Nick Hays and Bonita Mason are the first to move into the new affordable Nightingale Bowden apartment block. Photo: supplied

A new six-storey apartment block in Bowden, touted as Adelaide’s “first affordable and fully sustainable housing development”, has accepted its first residents.

Nick Hays and Bonita Mason last week became the first to move into the Nightingale Bowden development on the corner of Second and Drayton Street.

The $13.2m project, the first in South Australia for Nightingale, a Victorian housing not-for-profit, was delivered through a partnership between Housing Choices SA, Renewal SA and the South Australian Housing Authority.

The six-storey tower consists of 18 “carbon neutral” apartments sold to owner-occupiers through the state government’s HomeSeeker SA program.

According to the state government, the one- and two-bedroom apartments sold at an average price of $366,450, with the first 14 apartments selling out within less than a day when they hit the market via a ballot in March 2021.

The remaining 18 apartments are being managed by Housing Choices South Australia as affordable rental properties.

“This landmark project delivers a real mix of affordable housing options for residents in a highly sought-after area,” Planning Minister Nick Champion said.

“Seeing how quickly these properties have been snapped up shows the importance of creating additional pathways to home ownership.

“We want to support more South Australians to realise their goal of long-term housing security in a sustainable environment for the future.”

Nightingale Bowden achieved a 7.5-star rating from the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme.

The state government said the positive environmental rating stems from the building’s integration of solar power, rainwater harvesting and extensive bicycle storage.

Port Adelaide posts $3.4m profit

The Port Adelaide Football Club has announced an operating profit of $3.4m for the last financial year, allowing it to pay down $2.5m in debt.

The AFL club last week revealed that its operating revenue for the financial year ending October 31, 2022, was up 16 per cent to reach $57.1m.

The positive result was attributed to growth in commercial partnerships, matchday hospitality and gate receipts, with the 2022 AFL season the first not affected by COVID-19 capacity restrictions on crowds.

The club said the profit has allowed the club to pay down $2.5m in debt, on top of $3.3m the previous financial year.

Port Adelaide chair David Koch said the strong financial result would allow the club to make “further investments across our core business to continue to underpin and grow our revenue base”.

“This is an outstanding financial result, and I thank our members, and commercial and community partners for their wonderful support again in 2022,” Koch said in a statement.

“Building a financially stable and powerful Port Adelaide is an important part of our strategic agenda and will ensure we can provide our players with the best possible environment to enhance success on-field.”

The 2022 result is slightly down on Port Adelaide’s record $4.2m operating profit in 2021.

The club’s annual general meeting is scheduled for February 10 next year.