Mt Barker couple calls for help from State Government amid fears ‘red tape’ will kill their micro-winery plan

Winemakers Alexi and Hayley Christidis have called for help from the State Government ahead of tonight’s Shire of Plantagenet council meeting, where they fear their proposal for a micro-winery will be knocked back, setting up an expensive appeal through the State Administrative Tribunal. Councillors will tonight vote on a development application for a micro-winery under the Christidis’ boutique Chalari Wines label at their property on Tower Road. The Shire’s principal planning officer Vincent Jenkins has recommended council refuse the proposal on grounds a “winery” is not a permissible use at the property under the town planning scheme. The Christidis have operated in Roleystone since 2016, where the City of Armadale classified their business as “home operation”. They bought the Mt Barker property in April this year and moved from Perth to the Great Southern in May. In September, the couple submitted a development application to start producing wine on their property at a rate of up to 1000 cases per year. They believed their operation was so small that it did not fit into the “winery” category and could be classed an incidental or non-defined use. All winemaking operations would be carried out in an existing 144sqm outbuilding, with no cellar sales or wine tasting at the site. But in his report prepared for councillors, Mr Jenkins said the proposal fitted “fairly and squarely” into the winery definition and could not be approved under the town planning scheme. He said that if councillors believed a winery should be allowed under the zoning, they would need to pass a resolution to initiate a scheme amendment. “The winery definition does not include limits on quantities of grape and/or fruit processing and further is not prescriptive to the inclusion of cellar sales,” Mr Jenkins said. The Christidis have sought legal advice from WA planning lawyer Glen McLeod, who advised the proposal did not belong in the “winery” classification. They have also written to Planning Minister Rita Saffioti, urging her to do whatever she can to support them ahead of the meeting. Mr Christidis said he had tried to contact councillors to ensure they had a full picture of what they wanted to do. He claimed that before they bought the property, a “fill-in” planner at the Shire had previously told them their application could be approved. Mrs Christidis said they wanted to become part of the Plantagenet community. “Mark McGowan has encouraged families to move into the region and is strongly encouraging local governments to reduce red tape and make it easier for people like us,” she said. “None of that is being acknowledged at all. “We have got two young children and we want to contribute to the community. “If we can’t make wine here then it destroys us, this is Alexi’s livelihood and what he does.”