I rise to speak in support of the wine industry development and red tape reduction proposals contained in the Wine Industry Amendment Bill. Queensland’s wine industry is growing and the proposals in this bill will support the industry’s ongoing development. I am proud to say that the wine industry, like so many other industries in Queensland, has benefited from strong government support. Importantly, the government’s investment over the past few years has provided a strategic vision in the form of the Queensland Wine Industry Development Strategy, which has established the foundations for the industry’s long-term sustainability.

It is clear that the government and wine industry have worked closely together since 2004 to roll out many of the 69 actions tabled in this strategy. I understand the success of this strategy has been due to the strong government-industry partnership that has evolved over time, with the shared common goal of ensuring the industry reaches its full potential. The proposals in this bill come from this partnership approach and reflect what the state’s wine industry wanted to support: future growth.

The primary policy objective of the bill is to amend the Wine Industry Act 1994 to support innovation and growth in the state’s wine industry and to avoid unnecessary regulation. Cutting unnecessary red tape for Queensland wine producers will provide a major boost for this fast-growing industry. Many of the proposals in the bill that are focused on streamlining current licensing procedures and reducing administrative procedures will be wholeheartedly welcomed by the wine industry. I fully support the red tape initiative outlined in clause 15 of the bill which will enable wine producers to maintain their licence status if affected by unexpected natural events such as drought, storm or fire.

Queensland’s worst drought on record provides a stark reminder that our primary producers operate in a tough and unpredictable environment and can be faced with unavoidable times of hardship. Currently, a producer’s licence can be cancelled if they cease to conduct the business of selling wine. This new provision will allow the licence to be maintained for at least 12 months even though wine is not being made or sold. This is a valuable change to the act which will prevent a wine producer facing unnecessary administrative red tape when affected by a natural disaster, which is obviously beyond their control.

Streamlining licensing procedures, as intended by clause 7, to allow a wine merchant to simply apply to transfer into the wine producer licence category without having to make a further full licence application will remove the existing obligation faced by applicants to make two applications. This will save the business time and money and also remove the need to pay two sets of application fees when an operator’s wine merchant activities become eligible for a wine producer licence. Simplifying these transfer procedures also supports wine business development, as it may also encourage wine merchants to invest further and become fully-fledged wine producers.

I wholeheartedly support the red tape reduction and the other industry development initiatives contained in the bill which will further assist industry growth. I believe that the progressive suite of amendments being made to the Wine Industry Act will reinforce Queensland’s wine industry capacity to further develop over coming years. I commend the bill to the House.