Cellarbrations Canning Vale
In late 2020, Canford was invited by Pat Rock to assist in a liquor store licence application for a new store at the Ranford Road shopping complex, to be known as Cellarbrations Canning Vale.
Finally, as of February 2025 – this application process has been resolved. Subsequently, Cellarbrations Canning Vale was approved, and is set to open in the second half of 2025.
From late 2020 until August of 2021, Canford worked with Pat on the first liquor store licence application. This included extensive efforts to gather objective evidence and the curation of a very specific and diverse stock-list that championed craft beers, following on from the success of Pat’s other store – Cellarbrations Baldivis.
The Chief Health Officer intervened the first application, resulting in a document exchange process. After this had finished up, and with all the materials now reviewed, the Director refused the application. The Director thought Pat had not done enough to discharge his onus under Section 36B4 of the Act.
With this decision, Pat sought a review at the Liquor Commission. From mid to late 2022, Canford worked with the client on preparing submissions to present at the Liquor Commission review. We firmly believed the evidence gathered and the application written clearly represented our case. We trusted that this liquor store would be unique, desired by the community and would offer a packaged liquor service not currently seen in the locality. The review occurred on 15th September 2022. Phil represented / spoke on behalf of the client in front of the Commission.
In late January 2023, the Commission handed down its decision and affirmed the Director’s decision and also refused the application.
On review of these reasons and believing that the application could still be approved, Pat requested that Canford begin a fresh Liquor Store Licence application. This application had more focus on the public interest requirements – Sections 38(a)(b) & (c). This went from February 2023 until November 2023. The usual advertising period began in March of 2024. Once again, the Chief Health Officer intervened in the application and we entered into a formal document exchange process, ending mid-July, 2024.
The application moved through the Racing, Gaming and Liquor Department. We were then waiting for a decision for a number of months. Following some discussion about public interest and potential trading conditions for the licence, the Director eventually approved the application at the end of January 2025.
Cellarbrations Canning Vale will be a independent liquor store, based in the Ranford Road Shopping Complex, adjacent to the IGA. It will champion West Australian and Australian short-run and limited edition craft beers. It will be showcasing a stock-list unmatched in the locality for its diversity and volume.
Thank you to Pat for the opportunity, and we are glad to have finally brought you this win.