PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms SHARKIE (Mayo) (12:11): I move: That this House: (1) recognises that: (a) the Australian grape and wine sector is a major contributor to Australia's economy and to rural and regional communities; (b) the wine industry contributes $51.3 billion to the Australian economy, providing more than 203,390 direct and indirect full and part-time jobs; (c) Australia has 65 wine regions with more than 2,000 winemakers and more than 5,000 wine grape growers; and (d) wine production is critical in many regional communities, supporting supply-chain businesses, tourism, hospitality and exports; (2) acknowledges that: (a) the wine industry is in structural distress; (b) in 2024-25 production exceeded sales by 52 million litres; (c) this imbalance is not temporary due to reductions in both domestic and global wine consumption, with the International Organisation of Wine confirming that global wine consumption has fallen to its lowest level since 1961; (d) the global wine market is forecast to shrink by 8 per cent over the next five years, a decline equivalent to 1.5 billion litres of lost consumption, or more than four times Australia's annual production; and (e) the global crisis is having local human consequences, for growers, winemakers, families and communities; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) support Australian Grape and Wine Incorporated in its $139.25 million proposal over three years to rationalise supply and restore viability of the industry; (b) support a Wine Business Viability and Transition program to ensure orderly supply adjustment, reduce structural oversupply, and assist growers and winemakers who wish to transition from the sector to do so with dignity; and (c) focus on growing demand and rebuilding markets.
The wine industry is facing one of the most significant challenges in its history, and the people at the heart of the sector deserve to know that this government is listening. The Australian grape and wine sector provides more than $51 billion to our economy and supports more than 203,000 jobs. It's an industry that sustains regional communities, drives tourism, supports exports and showcases Australia to the world.
Our wine regions have contributed enormously to Australia and now there is a genuine partnership with government to help secure that future—it's absolutely desperately needed. Right now, the industry is in structural distress. Global wine consumption has fallen to its lowest level since 1961, and Australian production exceeds sales by 52 million litres in the last financial year.
Forecasts suggest that the global wine market will shrink by a further eight per cent over the next five years. These figures tell a story, and behind that story are people, families and communities. This is playing out in wine regions across the country and is particularly evident in my home state of South Australia, where 80 per cent of Australia's premium wine and 50 per cent of all of its bottled wine is produced.
South Australia is the 'wine state' and a proud member of the prestigious group of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. In my electorate of Mayo, the wine industry is part of our very fabric. We are home to some of Australia's most recognised wine regions, including the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Currency Creek.
Together, these regions account for almost 30 per cent of South Australia's grape production and support more than 1,300 grape growers. I've spoken with some of those growers who are questioning whether they can continue. It's not viable to keep growing unsold grapes, but it's also too costly to pull out vines and to diversify.
Just last week, I was in McLaren Vale, and it was heartbreaking to see unpicked vineyards scattered right across the district. I've spoken to winemakers, cellar door operators and hospitality businesses. They are all facing increasing financial pressure and uncertainty about the future.
I've heard from families who've devoted generations to the industry and are now unsure whether they have a viable business to pass on to their children. The tourism industry is feeling the fallout in regions where wine tourism is critical to economic survival. There are flow-on effects to bottling plants, to agricultural supplies, to freight companies, to printers, to carton manufacturers and to all those secondary industries reliant on a successful wine sector.
The pressure is relentless. It's not just financial; it's emotional. It's affecting mental health, family relationships and entire communities.
It's often invisible to those outside of the industry but it's being felt right across kitchen tables, inside family businesses and across regions. What is frustrating is that the government seems to be turning a blind eye to this. The Australian grape and wine industry put forward a budget proposal designed to allow orderly transition, reduce oversupply and support growers and winemakers through change, but the industry's calls for assistance have gone unanswered.
The budget not only failed to help the wine industry; it actually cut funding, phasing out the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grants program at a time when it's most needed and not reinvesting that funding into anything else within the sector. The reality is that this devastating change to the wine industry is happening whether the government acts or not. The cost of doing nothing will not disappear; it will simply be borne by growers, families, communities and, ultimately, taxpayers.
This motion recognises both the economic significance of our wine industry and the human consequences of its current challenges. We owe it to families, workers and communities who have built this industry to ensure they are not left facing the challenge alone. This is an incredibly important industry to my electorate.
It provides an enormous variety of employment and I urge the government to support it. A division having been called in the House of Representatives — Sitting suspended from 12:16 to 12 : 29 The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Wilkie ): Is the motion seconded? Mr Gee: I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I understand the member for Pearce would like to present a copy of her speech for incorporation into Hansard, in accordance with the resolution agreed to on 6 November 2025.