Wine Industry Fund Reform

Consultation has concluded

The Wine Industry Fund Reform Consultation has now closed.

What's being decided?

South Australia’s grape and wine industry has access to a reliable source of funds through 7 wine industry funds. We are proposing to make changes to how these funds are managed to provide better certainty and efficiency for the industry and the Government of South Australia. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has worked with industry on areas of improvement and proposes the following changes:

  • reducing the refund period
  • changes to the default period
  • review of the five-year renewal period
  • setting the contribution rate via the Government Gazette.

If you are a winemaker or grape grower who currently contributes to any of the 7 wine industry funds, you are invited to share your thoughts. We're interested to learn your views on these matters and any other changes that you would like considered to improve the operation of the wine industry fund regulations.

Background

The Primary Industry Funding Schemes Act 1998 (the Act) was established to provide South Australian primary industries with a legislative instrument to raise funds within their sector to undertake activities that support and develop their sector. Different Primary Industry Funding Schemes (PIFS) currently operate in South Australia, covering wine, citrus, grains, and livestock. The PIFS receive money from contributors, who are currently able to seek a refund of their contributions from the PIFS fund during a prescribed period. The funds are administered by the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, and PIRSA assists with administering the funds on behalf of the Minister. PIRSA undertook a review of its administration of the 7 wine industry funds (listed below) established under the Act in 2019 to identify if the system could be improved:

  • Adelaide Hills Wine Industry Fund
  • Barossa Wine Industry Fund
  • Clare Valley Wine Industry Fund
  • Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Fund
  • McLaren Vale Wine Industry Fund
  • Riverland Wine Industry Fund
  • South Australian Grape Growers Industry Fund

Since this review, PIRSA has initiated discussions with the wine industry on areas of funds management that could be improved. In addition, the department has progressed changes in the agency (such as standard templates for industry applications and reporting); and has identified other areas of change that would require amendments to the regulations that establish the wine industry funds.

Get involved

PIRSA is seeking feedback on the regulations for each fund:

Find out more information by reading:

Have your say by:

What are the next steps?

Following the consultation, feedback provided will be considered to inform the changes to the wine industry fund regulations. A final report detailing the outcomes of engagement will be published on YourSAy.

The Wine Industry Fund Reform Consultation has now closed.

What's being decided?

South Australia’s grape and wine industry has access to a reliable source of funds through 7 wine industry funds. We are proposing to make changes to how these funds are managed to provide better certainty and efficiency for the industry and the Government of South Australia. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has worked with industry on areas of improvement and proposes the following changes:

  • reducing the refund period
  • changes to the default period
  • review of the five-year renewal period
  • setting the contribution rate via the Government Gazette.

If you are a winemaker or grape grower who currently contributes to any of the 7 wine industry funds, you are invited to share your thoughts. We're interested to learn your views on these matters and any other changes that you would like considered to improve the operation of the wine industry fund regulations.

Background

The Primary Industry Funding Schemes Act 1998 (the Act) was established to provide South Australian primary industries with a legislative instrument to raise funds within their sector to undertake activities that support and develop their sector. Different Primary Industry Funding Schemes (PIFS) currently operate in South Australia, covering wine, citrus, grains, and livestock. The PIFS receive money from contributors, who are currently able to seek a refund of their contributions from the PIFS fund during a prescribed period. The funds are administered by the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, and PIRSA assists with administering the funds on behalf of the Minister. PIRSA undertook a review of its administration of the 7 wine industry funds (listed below) established under the Act in 2019 to identify if the system could be improved:

  • Adelaide Hills Wine Industry Fund
  • Barossa Wine Industry Fund
  • Clare Valley Wine Industry Fund
  • Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Fund
  • McLaren Vale Wine Industry Fund
  • Riverland Wine Industry Fund
  • South Australian Grape Growers Industry Fund

Since this review, PIRSA has initiated discussions with the wine industry on areas of funds management that could be improved. In addition, the department has progressed changes in the agency (such as standard templates for industry applications and reporting); and has identified other areas of change that would require amendments to the regulations that establish the wine industry funds.

Get involved

PIRSA is seeking feedback on the regulations for each fund:

Find out more information by reading:

Have your say by:

What are the next steps?

Following the consultation, feedback provided will be considered to inform the changes to the wine industry fund regulations. A final report detailing the outcomes of engagement will be published on YourSAy.

Consultation has concluded

  • Consultation report

    In line with its key priority of regulatory excellence, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions has undertaken an administrative review of the Wine Industry Funds established under the Primary Industry Funding Schemes Act 1998 and identified areas for improvement. This review included targeted consultation with each of the Wine Industry Funds’ recognised representative organisations.

    The identified reform areas formed the basis of the Wine Industry Fund Regulation Amendments Consultation that was published on YourSAy on 11 June 2021 and closed on 7 July 2021. This consultation was aimed at contributors to the Wine Industry Funds to seek views on the proposed changes to the regulations.

    Following consideration of the consultation, regulatory amendments were approved by the Government of South Australia and published in the Government Gazette on 2 September 2021.

    The amendments reduce the period a contributor to the wine funds may seek a refund, enabling better certainty and efficiency for industry and the Government of South Australia and allowing the funds to better deliver benefits to the wine industry. This change will also prevent contributors receiving benefits from the scheme for a year and then withdrawing their funds, which can compromise the viability of the schemes and the industry bodies that deliver them.

    The amendments have also changed the mechanism by which contribution rates to the funds are established, allowing the rates to be established in the Government Gazette rather than in regulations.

    Following identification of an inconsistency, Apiary Industry Fund regulations were also amended to align with current practice for determining the amount of contributions payable to the Fund by beekeepers.

    Public consultation has demonstrated broad industry support for the both proposals, with contributors acknowledging the benefits the amendments will provide to their respective sectors.

    You can read more about the consultation in our Consultation report.