The policy settings for the spirits industry in Australia were set more than thirty years ago. There have been minor tweaks since that time, yet the industry has had significant change and development.

Like the wine industry of thirty years ago, it took the industry and Government to work together to have a fresh look at the barriers that industry faced and the most economical and sustainable approach to secure the industry future growth.

One of the key transitions was the establishment of a Parliamentary Inquiry to give the industry an engaged review. The parliamentary inquiry process is bipartisan in nature and allows for a deep dive on all of the issues that affect the industry that the government has influence over.

The Australian Distilling Industry is at the stage where it is appropriate that the Australian Government has a significant review into our industry to ensure it has the opportunity for sustainable growth and is not held back by out of date and unnecessary policy settings.

We have an opportunity to outline the long-term needs for future growth of the industry and the value of creating a representative body as a key driver to achieve those longer-term objectives and pave the way for fundamental change in the industry that will support its continued growth.