Federal Government Introduces Wine Industry Reform Bill

The Federal Government has introduced new legislation aimed at strengthening Australia's wine industry, with reforms designed to improve fairness between grape growers and winemakers.

The Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill forms part of the Government's response to an independent review by Dr Craig Emerson, which found widespread bargaining power imbalances and contracting issues across the sector.

The legislation paves the way for a mandatory code of conduct governing wine grape purchases, replacing the current voluntary arrangements. It also expands Wine Australia's powers to collect industry information, with data able to be shared with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to help enforce the proposed code.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says the reforms will improve transparency and confidence throughout the wine supply chain, at a time when growers continue to face difficult market conditions driven by global oversupply and declining wine consumption.

The Government says it has committed more than $90 million in support for Australia's grape and wine sector since coming to office.