Last May, following Christchurch's February earthquakes, Speight's announced the surprise $20 million redevelopment, which will replace lost brewing capacity in Christchurch, with job numbers in Dunedin more than doubling to 27 once completed.
Lion external relationsmanager Judy Walter said yesterday the project was still in the planning stages, with the company in consultation with architects.
However, several "mile-stones" had been achieved since May, including the move from Christchurch to Dunedin of the sideline business of maltextraction from partially brewed beer, branded Maltexo.
The malt goes into home-brew kits which are sold globally, and which is also used as a baking ingredient.
Speight's brewery, a top tourist attraction for Dunedin, will be upgraded, with the building of a new brewhouse. Improvements are to also be made of the cellars and kegging facilities.
Lion announced in May an overall $43 million reinvestment package across three sites.
Dunedin will have its keg-producing capacity and home-brew kit numbers increased, with the upgrade construction to be completed by December 2012.
The balance of the $43 million would see $15 million spent in Christchurch on a new warehouse and distribution centre, and $8 million in Auckland to increase other-brand brewing.
Ms Walter said a decision on when work might start would be "no sooner than two months away", but otherwise there were no changes planned to details announced in May.
The redevelopment prompted speculation in Dunedin that Lion was considering using another water source for brewing, which historically has been drawn from a spring under the brewery in Rattray St, Dunedin, during the past 136 years.
However, Ms Walter said there was "no plan to change water usage".
Several other large southern projects have during the past two years been delayed by a shortage of contractors in the south, but Ms Walter said that issue was yet to considered as it would still be some time before tenders went out for the redevelopment.
Once the redevelopment was complete, actual beer brewing at Speight's was estimated last year to be in for an increase of 250%.
Ms Walker said yesterday that capacity at the Dunedin brewery had already been increased.
It was estimated last year that job numbers in Dunedin would increase from 11 to 27, while across the South Island a total of 22 jobs would be lost in the wake of the effects of the earthquakes.
Lion said at the time it wanted to retain 70 employees around Canterbury.
Of 38 positions affected in Christchurch, Lion hoped the majority could be redeployed to new positions, but if not, staff would be offered redundancy packages.
