Two Senators present, Dick Shenton and Jean Le Maistre, expressed their support.
Senator Shenton said that it was the first time the agricultural industry had come up with such a scheme to help itself, something that was ‘excellent to hear’.
Senator Le Maistre said that the project team deserved congratulations.
‘People are clamouring for agricultural diversification,’ he said, ‘and this is one plan for that to happen.’ The positioning of the distillery on the proposed site near St John’s Manor was a separate issue, he added.
St John Deputy Phil Rondel, however, was not persuaded by anything he had heard at the presentation, referring to the problems caused by alcohol, the traffic movements to and from the distillery ’24 hours a day, seven days a week’, and the impact on residents.
And St Lawrence Deputy Maurice Dubras said that he did not think that the many negative aspects of the scheme had been addressed in the presentation.
Deputy Terry Le Main, who has both written to the Environment Committee and tabled States questions to its president, Senator Philip Ozouf, was present, but did not ask any questions.
Grower Ted Egré said that he had arrived as a sceptic, but would now think again.
