Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) is set for a major governance overhaul, with a dedicated Executive Officer, Independent Chair and skills-based Board to be established as part of a new sector-wide agreement.
The move follows an independent governance review and aims to deliver greater clarity, efficiency and responsiveness across the national sustainability program.
Australian Grape & Wine, Wine Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute have endorsed the changes under a new 2025–30 agreement, which strengthens their joint commitment to the program.
The refreshed structure will provide clearer oversight, secure funding and dedicated resourcing, positioning Sustainable Winegrowing Australia to deliver greater value for grapegrowers, winemakers and the wider industry. This will include a stronger emphasis on improving usability and cost-effectiveness for members.
Wine Australia CEO Dr Martin Cole said: “Sustainability is a strategic imperative for the sector. It is critical to our resilience and competitiveness throughout a changing operational environment that is being driven by climate change and market, consumer and regulatory pressures.
“As a key element of the sector’s sustainability framework, we’re delighted to sign a new joint agreement for Sustainable Winegrowing Australia that will see the Program resourced, strengthened and equipped to support the sector’s current and future needs.”
Australian Wine Research Institute Managing Director Dr Mark Krstic said the changes to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia build on its strong foundations as a holistic sustainability program and its growing membership base.
“We’re delighted to reach a new agreement for the benefit of the sector. Collectively, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia members represent around 70 per cent of Australia’s vineyard area and winery members crushed more than 80 per cent of Australia’s winegrapes this year,” Dr Krstic said.
“There are more than 1800 members, more than 1200 of whom are certified through the Program. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia provides a framework of annual self‑assessments, benchmarking against industry data, and independent certification audits that track and verify progress across sustainable practices.”
A transition phase is now underway, during which an independent Chair, Board and Executive Officer will be recruited. The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) will continue to operate the program in the interim to ensure continuity for members, with current Sustainable Winegrowing Australia lead Dr Mardi Longbottom stepping in as interim Executive Officer.
As part of the new arrangements, AWRI has committed to directing Sustainable Winegrowing Australia’s membership and training income into Wine Australia’s Research & Innovation Fund. This means the program will be financed through this mechanism rather than through levies paid by grapegrowers and winemakers.
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