Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to support the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Amendment Bill 2009 and put on the record some thoughts from a boutique winegrowing region. It still surprises me that, apart from connoisseurs, people do not know that there is a very active, emerging, organised winegrowing community on the mid-North Coast of New South Wales. I am probably the only member here not laying claim to representing the premier region amongst the battle of the valleys—you have all done it! But I put on the record that there are some new locations snapping at the heels of many of those valleys throughout Australia and the more recognised premier brands. The mid-North Coast of New South Wales is certainly in that category. We have a desire to grow. I am pleased the growers themselves are now organised. That spirit of working together will enable the region itself to grow and emerge. With beaches, rivers and a wonderful lifestyle to throw in with your bottle of red or white, the mid-North Coast brand is an attractive option for a growing number of people to try.

The bill is important for many of my boutique wines because some are involved in the export market and are incredibly sensitive to two things that public policy can deliver for them. One is export marketing and the work done by various agencies such as Austrade and any other overseas entities of the Australian government that can help gain access to or grow markets such as the European Community. The second is tax. It is an ongoing issue for boutique wineries and, I might add, boutique breweries that how government sets its policy agenda is sometimes targeted towards the bigger players—the big winemaking regions or the big producers—and quite often public policy is driven by those large volumes.

However, I ask for consideration in matters of taxation of small-scale farming and the role that small-scale farming plays in the growth of the Australian economy and in the growth and diversity of branding in things such as wine exporting and agreements with international areas such as the one we have before us tonight. This bill is, I hope, beyond partisan in its support throughout this chamber. The changes it represents are sensible, and hopefully they will continue to grow the Australian wine industry story.

I was first elected to a state parliament in 1996, and the wine industry went through the roof, so I lay claim to everyone’s dancing with joy at my state election and having a nice bottle of red. I also noticed that when I first got into the federal parliament, in 2008, the wine industry bounced back from some tough years. So I am pleased to do my bit to contribute to the growth of the industry, and hopefully we will continue to see that trend rise and the Australian brand continue, not only domestically but internationally, to show itself off as a brand of value and quality and one that we can all be proud of whether we are wine drinkers or not.

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