Spinifex Ale House: Cable Beach venue from Spinifex Brewing Co one step closer after Broome council approval

A 400-person family-friendly ale house will soon form part of the world-famous Cable Beach landscape after the Shire of Broome approved a development application from locally owned Spinifex Brewing Co.

Unanimously passed at the August 25 council meeting, the company hopes to see the Sanctuary Road ale house — complete with indoor and outdoor seating, a jumbo screen and stage for events and an eco-playground — become a mainstay of the Broome venue itinerary.

Aside from the seating and activity offerings, the company also plans to produce low and mid-strength beer on-site with a 6HL steam-fired brewery.

A gubinge and boab Aboriginal bush foods packaging facility will also feature in the ale house, with local legend Nyul Nyul man Robert Dann and his Bindam Mie enterprise set to reside there.

Spinifex Brewing Co chief executive Adam Barnard said as a long-term Broome resident, he was excited to see the project come to life.

“First and foremost, this facility is built for Broome locals, providing a long overdue family-friendly environment for all,” he said.

The company has also committed to a “local first policy”, which will see Kimberley favourites Moontide Gin, Kimberley Coffee Co, Kimberley Bush Honey, Bindam Mie, Rapidclean and Red Sun Camels partner with the brewer to provide trades.

The development will coincide with a swag of changes in Cable Beach, including a planned $36.5m redevelopment of the iconic foreshore and a $3.85m rebuild of the Broome Surf Life Saving Club.

A business case for a new $64m accommodation hub — which would include workers’ accommodation, caravan sites and sites for over 55s — situated just a few hundred metres from the alehouse, has also been put forward by the Shire.

“I am also excited about the potential tourism benefits a project of this scale will bring and how it will complement the proposed Cable Beach redevelopment plans,” Mr Barnard said.

The project has received letters of support from the Tourism Council Western Australia, Kimberley Development Commission, Regional Development Australia and Ray White Cable Beach.

It comes after the company in July withdrew a similar development application for an ale house in the Perth suburb of North Beach.

A statement from the company said the application was withdrawn due to a recommendation from the City of Stirling planning committee to reject the development due to a shortfall of car parking bays.

A statement from the company said architects were working to redesign development to factor in additional parking.