Albanese Labor Government funding opens the door for more wine and cider tourism

The Albanese Labor Government is supporting more than 200 wine and cider businesses across Australia through the latest round of the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant Program announced today. 

This funding will help to build on the success of Australian wine regions and promote agri-tourism.  

Through this grant round, wineries around Australia will share in $10 million of new funding, including 74 businesses in South Australia, 43 in Victoria, 36 in New South Wales, 34 in Western Australia, 11 in Tasmania and 3 in Queensland. 

Previous grant rounds have supported producers to invest in infrastructure upgrades to improve their cellar doors and enabled cellar doors to host additional wine events to attract visitors. 

Since the first round of the grants program opened, the government has provided $60 million to support wineries and cellar door operators to attract visitors to Australian wine regions and promote agri-tourism.  

Australia’s wine industry is made up of over 2,000 wineries and 6,000 grape growers, across 65 wine regions.

While international demand for our wine is increasing following the removal of duties on bottled wine to China, and the value of Australian wine exports has been increasing, it’s important to also focus on growth within the domestic market. 

The Albanese Labor Government is committed to helping Australia’s grape and wine sector thrive and is also delivering a multimillion package to boost the sector’s long-term viability. 

The Government’s $3.5 million Grape and Wine Sector Long-Term Viability Package includes the establishment of a new National Vineyard Register and an independent impact analysis of the sector’s current rules concerning fair trading, competitive relationships, contracting practices and risk allocation.  

Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP: 

“This grant program demonstrates the Albanese Labor Government’s commitment to the growth and success of the wine and cider industries. 

“It provides support to Australian wine businesses, including those that have faced challenges in recent years. 

“Funding like this is building on our Government’s work to rebuild trade around the world and provides crucial support for the industry to thrive well into the future.”