WHAT RUBBISH: 14 MARCH 2017

EDITORIAL COMMENT: I read with interest the following media release from the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia. The release of a consultation paper? An invitation to provide feedback? An opportunity to comment?

How are they a win for cellar doors? How do they constitute a $10m regional tourism boost? Surely the $10m would have been better spent by giving it immediately to the people concerned rather than frittering money away on bureaucracy and pointless investigations.

Why doesn’t the Government show some leadership and do what it’s been elected for … to actually govern? If governments did that then perhaps a dickhead such as Donald Trump wouldn’t be President of the US, and perhaps Pauline Hanson wouldn’t have such a prominent position in Australian politics.

A win for cellar doors with $10m regional tourism boost

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia has welcomed the Government’s release of a consultation paper on the annual $10 million cellar door and regional tourism grant, delivering on its commitment to consult with industry.

The Hon Senator Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, and The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services have invited the wine sector to provide feedback on the proposed eligibility criteria for the grant, which was part of the package of Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) reforms announced by the Government in December last year.

Tony Battaglene, Chief Executive of WFA, welcomed the release of the criteria and the opportunity for industry to comment. He urged members to carefully consider the proposed grant details and to provide feedback to WFA to relay to the government.

“This is an important part of the WET reforms and we are very pleased to see the Government working to deliver on its commitment to industry very quickly after its announcement last year,” he said.

“The grant will support the cellar doors of our important wine regions to boost tourism and regional economies.”

Importantly, the grant is on-going and will provide certainty for the industry boosting investment in regional communities.

“This grant, in conjunction with the WET reforms and the $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support package, is a broad-based strategy that will enable us to achieve export and development goals in say two-to-five years, rather than 10 years, for example. This turbo-charges exports and investment,” said Mr Battaglene.

Industry can access the consultation document at http://www.agriculture.gov.au/wine-grant.

Based on media release issued by WFA.