Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Julie Collins MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
The Albanese Labor Government has reached a significant milestone in the development of a new mandatory Code of Conduct for wine grape purchases, with consultation on the Code's Exposure Draft now open.
The mandatory Winegrape Purchases Code of Conduct will come into effect from 1 January 2027 and help level the playing field for Australia's wine and grape sector.
It will ensure dealings between winegrape growers and large winemakers are undertaken in good faith and are fair and reasonable, with improved transparency and consistent trading arrangements.
The Code will provide greater certainty on issues such as price deductions and dispute resolution, while equipping growers with key financial information to inform their business operations.
Implementing an enforceable code is part of the Government's response to the recommendations of Dr Craig Emerson's wine and grape sector review.
It is part of the Albanese Labor Government's work to support Australia's wine and grape sector, which is experiencing disruption from challenging market conditions, including global oversupply of wine and declining consumption rates.
Since coming to office, the Government has delivered over $105 million in funding to support the grape and wine sector, and permanently increased the Wine Equalisation Tax rebate.
This support recognises the importance of Australia's wine and grape sector, with grape growing, winemaking and wine tourism contributing $51.3 billion to the national economy annually.
This important phase of consultation, which is open until Friday, 9 October 2026, gives Australia's wine and grape sector the opportunity to help shape the proposed Code.
