The SA Wine Recovery Program was developed following recommendations made by the Viticulture and Wine Sector Working Group, and established by Agriculture Ministers, with further input from the South Australian Wine Industry Association and Wine Grape Council of South Australia. The federal and South Australian Governments have now announced the extension of the program until 2027.
With $3.1m in federal funding, the extended program will continue to support South Australia’s wine industry to recover from adverse events and market disruptions experienced in recent years.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins MP said: “We know though that grape growers and winemakers across South Australia have faced a number of challenges in recent years, which is why we continue to work with them to deliver practical support.
“Extending the SA Wine Recovery Program is another way the Albanese Labor government is supporting grape growers and winemakers diversify their trade, boost their productivity and strengthen the long-term sustainability of their businesses.”
This includes supporting a third round of the Resting Vineyard Rebate — supporting growers to temporarily rest parts of their vineyard to cut production costs and buy some time to evaluate and make decisions on future viability of vineyards.
This builds on existing streams of the program that will be extended, which focus on improving vineyard waste management, domestic market demand building initiatives, and boosting regional grape and wine capability.
This includes helping to find safe and sustainable solutions for the disposal of the growing stockpile of copper chrome arsenate-treated posts.
Support to increase the uptake of sustainability credentials to help SA wine businesses boost their efficiency and lower their emissions will be extended — with this stream already supporting 75 wine businesses across the state.
The extended program will also include a 12-month campaign to support raising the profile of South Australia’s wines.
Australian Grape & Wine Chief Executive Officer Lee McLean said: “This extension of the SA Wine Recovery Program delivers practical, targeted support at a time when many wine businesses are making difficult decisions in a challenging operating environment.
“Extending the sustainability and capability streams of the program is a smart investment that helps wine businesses improve efficiency, lower costs and strengthen their environmental credentials.”
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