On 19 September 2024, the following matter was referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 28 February 2025.

The adequacy of the voluntary Code of Conduct for Australian Winegrape Purchases (code), with reference to:

a. the structure of, and any inequities in, the Australian winegrape and wine processing market;
b. the nature and impact of current market and trading arrangements on the winegrape and wine processing industries;
c. the impact of the current market structure on employment conditions for workers in the supply chain;
d. the availability, transparency and accessibility of winegrape market price information and its effectiveness in forecasting winegrape prices and demand;
e. the effectiveness of the current administration of the code;
f. the adequacy of winegrape and wine industry representation at regional, state and national levels;
g. policy and regulatory options to improve market competition and address any inequities, including the potential benefits and limitations of a mandatory code, and the applicability of existing mandatory codes of conduct in other primary industries; and
h. any other related matters.

Submissions close on 18 October 2024.

Making a contribution

Thank you for your interest in the committee’s inquiry. The committee’s task is to receive evidence in relation to its terms of reference, prepare a report, and make recommendations to the Senate. As such, the committee is not able to investigate or assist with individual matters or complaints.

Individuals are welcome to make a submission addressing the terms of reference to assist the committee with its consideration of the issues. Information on making a submission to a parliamentary inquiry is available on the Senate’s website, here.