Page 10 - New Updated Flipbook file

With our borders likely to remain closed for some time, our efforts now are directed to helping members plan for the coming seasons without their usual migrant workforce. We have also initiated a business study to ensure
we have an accurate understanding
of the impact of COVID-19 on smaller wineries, so that we can advocate for our industry’s share of the government support that is available.
Workforce activities
In addition to the labour challenges COVID-19 has brought, we have been working hard to ensure members’ interests are represented in a range
of government proposals to change the immigration and employment framework. This will include new accreditation requirements before employers can access migrant workers and proposals on the introduction
of “Fair Pay” agreements. The government has announced COVID-19 recovery funding support for training new entrants and attracting workers to the Primary Sector, and Advocacy has been working hard to ensure the wine industry is strongly positioned to benefit.
Other work continues on developing a winegrower-specific process to ensure members can readily provide assurances to their customers and the government about ethical treatment of workers.
Advocacy Compliance Roadshow
In September, members of the Advocacy team met with over
100 winegrowers across seven centres. This provided an opportunity to update members on
key compliance issues (including employment, immigration, winemaking requirements, spray use, customs and excise, and other areas), and hear first-hand about concerns and issues.
Market access opportunities for
New Zealand wine
During the year negotiations with the European Union towards a free trade agreement began in earnest. Despite the disappointment of the EU’s unrealistic opening positions, some signs are emerging that they actually are interested in a deal that would benefit winemakers in both markets. Only time will tell; we have no interest in a deal that does not remove many of the irritants that EU rules impose. Negotiations towards an agreement with the United Kingdom are just beginning. As an important wine trading hub, we expect the UK may
be much less protectionist in their approach than the EU. The uncertainty of Brexit continues to pose challenges for our exports to the UK.
Cellar door
licensing challenges
Wine tourism is core business for many New Zealand wineries. These activities include cellar door visits,
restaurants, winery and vineyard tours, and accommodation. To support the growing importance of wine tourism, NZW has been working steadily with officials since 2018 to seek technical improvements to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act that would support wine tourism. Specifically, we asked:
• that cellar doors be allowed to charge for wine samples (rather than having to provide them free); and
• for changes so that a winery with an on-licence can also hold a cellar door off-licence without having to meet the “85% of revenue” test.
Disappointingly, even though these changes are well aligned with the objects of the Act, and would support small and medium wineries in their recovery from COVID-19, Justice Minister Little advised us in late June that any changes will have to wait until Labour’s next term, when they intend to review the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. We are grateful for the detailed case studies and examples that members provided us, and will resume this work as soon as possible after the election.
8
MISTY COVE