The Tasmanian government could purchase the almost 150-year-old James Boag brewery after a meeting with Japanese parent company Kiri, Premier Jeremy Rockliff has revealed.Beverage distributor Lion, which is owned by Kirin, announced last month plans to shutter the James Boag brewery in Tasmania’s second city of Launceston this November. The brewery, alongside Cascade Brewery in Hobart, is among Australia’s oldest, having first opened in 1881.On Wednesday, Mr Rockliff said Kirin had “provided in-principle support” to explore a proposal by the state government to purchase the site. “The Boag’s site is part of Tasmania’s industrial and cultural heritage, and any transition must be managed responsibly and with a focus on future economic opportunities,” he said.“Any future planning framework must strike the right balance between preserving the site’s heritage, unlocking investment, creating jobs and ensuring the precinct can evolve to meet the needs of future generations.”It was not immediately clear how much the government would consider paying for the site, or what it would be used for. However, Mr Rockliff said Kirin and Lion had committed to working with the government and the City of Launceston on the future use of the site.The state government and Kirin had also agreed to pursue enabling legislation to support future redevelopment opportunities across the precinct” in a timely way, noting the complexities of the site”.Mr Rockliff said the “unexpected decision” to shutter the site had hit workers and their families hard.“After advocacy that reflected the community’s view during our meeting in Japan, Kirin has agreed to genuinely consider the further requests in relation to the worker support package,” Mr Rockliff said. The Liberal Premier will meet next week with Lion chief executive Anubha Sahasrabuddhe to “progress discussions on workforce support ahead of the brewery’s closure”.“Workers have always been our priority throughout this process, and we will continue fighting for them,” he said. “Kirin reinforced its commitment to explore small batch opportunities with Tasmanian brewers.”Mr Rockliff said the state government would continue engaging with Kirin, employees, unions, local government, and community on the future of the site. In a statement, Lion noted a “long-term decline” in the national beer market for the closure of James Boag, which had been operating under capacity.“After considering all of the feedback received during consultation, we have concluded that the structural challenges facing the brewery cannot be overcome and have made the difficult decision to proceed with the closure,” Ms Sahasrabuddhe said on July 1.“While we continue to engage openly and constructively with a number of parties, it is not our intention to sell the James Boag’s brand – we remain committed to both Tasmania and supporting the James Boag’s brand.”The closure will impact 42 people employed at the brewery. As much as 92 per cent of Australia’s beer market is owned by Japanese brewers Kirin and Asahi, which alongside its own brand also owns Carlton and United Breweries.The remaining percentage is largely made up of small-scale breweries, many of which are also based in Tasmania, including Moo Brewery in Hobart which is owned by MONA founder David Walsh.