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Drip Feed Liquor Licence Amendments Incompetent Local brewers and wineries will have to wait until 2012 before they see any benefits in the Brumby Labor Government’s latest back-flip to their ill conceived risk based liquor licence policy, Nationals Member for By Russell Northe - 12th November 2010 - Back to News Morwell Russell Northe said today.
"The Minister for Consumer Affairs announced a new Producer’s Licence this week which would replace the current vignerons’ licence and allow breweries and wineries to promote and sell produce at an unlimited number of farmers’ markets, shows and festivals without obtaining additional temporary licences.
"Whilst this change is welcome it does not make sense that this industry will have to continue to pay significant increases in their liquor licences for another two years before the amendment kicks in," said Mr Northe.
"If the State Government was genuine about wanting to support the ongoing development of the beer and wine industry by reducing unnecessary licensing regulation, the changes should come into effect immediately."
The new Producer’s Licence would replace the current vigneron’s licence and will be available to businesses:
• Growing their own fruit and making their own liquor or financially responsible for liquor production;
• Buying fruit grown by someone else and producing their own liquor or financially responsible for liquor production; or
• Brewing their own beer.
Mr Northe said that vineyards have been hit hard by the prolonged drought, bushfires and smoke damage to crops, severe frosts, floods and increasing red tape.
"Having attacked our small wine producers for two years, Labor cynically thinks it can buy votes five weeks out from an election with a half-baked promise that won’t take effect for another two years."
Mr Northe said the so called risk based liquor licence fee reforms by the Brumby Government have been fundamentally flawed.
"The State Government has got the whole risk based liquor licence reform very wrong.
"They have been forced to make significant changes since the introduction of the risk based fee structure in early 2009 and still have not got it right."
Mr Northe said there is still a need to address the issue that many country pubs have been hit hard with significant increases in liquor licence fees due to the risk based fee structure.
"The Liberal-Nationals Coalition, in government, will review the risk based liquor licence fee structure to ensure that a more equitable system is implemented." Media: Russell Northe 0408 22 55 23 / Julia Auciello 5133 9088
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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