Great Wine Capitals Industry Forum

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:44): Supplementary: could the minister please confirm if there are any new, tangible programs currently in place to support, outside of discussions?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:45): There are a number of initiatives that are in place. For example, the South Australian government has a formal partnership with the South Australian Wine Industry Association, which is supported by a $1 million commitment over the next four years. The funding, referred to as Project 250, is the first year of a four-year commitment given by the government to this critical industry for our state. The industry and market development program includes a range of activities that will support business skills development and the ongoing business improvement of South Australian winery businesses.

Project 250 will also support initiatives at a state or regional level that continue to improve the capability and capacity of the wine industry across a range of areas, from viticulture through to customer service. Agtech demonstration sites have also been established in Nuriootpa and Loxton to showcase the latest technology designed to support grapegrowers to understand the opportunities presented by introducing agtech solutions into their operations.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions is a key partner of the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, which was held in Adelaide from 26 to 29 June this year. The conference attracted close to 1,200 delegates to Adelaide to learn about current business and consumer trends and the latest research and technology and experience a showcase of the newest and best equipment available to the grape and wine sectors.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions has taken a lead role in the recovery process for wine and grapegrowers following the recent disasters that have impacted the industry. Grapegrowers, for example, from the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island impacted by the Black Summer fires benefited from the Viticulture Rebuild and Recovery Grant. More recently, grapegrowers across the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and the Riverland have benefited from clean-up grants following the 2021 spring storms.

We continue to work both with our federal counterparts as well as with industry and associations to ensure that we are able to provide support to continue programs where they are beneficial and to explore new opportunities as they arise.