Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 7:06:46 to 7:11:15
Discussion regarding the status of Cellar Door grants, the potential cessation of future funding rounds, and industry proposals for vineyard exit or transition grants.
Topics: Grants administration, Exports
Speakers: Matt Lowe, Hon Matthew Canavan, Speaker 21, Unknown Speaker, Interjection
>> We'll see if we can get that information
>> Uh, Senator, we don't have those numbers yet. Uh, round eight only closed last
>> Sorry, mister.
>> Uh, round eight only closed last week, so we don't have the numbers yet. Uh, wine Australia is managing that. They'll be here later tonight if you would like.
Is that round eight proceeding?
>> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. So, it's fully funded.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Round nine is not proceeding then,
>> Round nine is proceeding
>> as well. Okay. So, how much is left in that in this in this grant program?
>> So, it's it's 10 million each year.
>> Okay. But subsequent to that, no more will be funded.
>> Uh the that's right. Well, there's two years uh and then future the the the the kind of future years would be subject to a government decision.
>> Oh, I thought the budget announced this program was ending.
>> It's it's po that's paused and future future kind of future use of that money will be subject to a government decision. So,
>> oh well shame Tammy's not here to advocate for it, but uh okay. But as it stands, there's no funding in the budget. There's no funding. >> No funding on these two rounds.
>> No, it's no funding subsequent to those
>> Two rounds. >> Okay.
>> That isn't subject to a government decision.
>> All right. Okay. Have you you have you um received uh feedback from um Australian Grape and Wine about the cut to this program?
>> I think um Australian Grape and Wine from memory senator was reasonably public in um some of its commentary
uh I believe Australian Grape and Wine have also uh made a proposal or formulated a proposal for uh some transition grants or vineyard exit grants. Have they submitted that to you?
>> Um I'm not specifically aware that they have submitted that to us
>> as part of their budget submission, pre-budget submission. Is they provided
>> Okay. All right. Has that been assessed? Have you provided advice to the minister about that submission or the particularly that aspect of their submission the exit grants proposal? Um
more well more generally Senator with um and I think you were on the I think the
make recommendations on this
sort of I guess transition or exit grants are something that we're um the government um remains quite cautious about sort of from a um and from a policy point of view we we remain quite cautious about. you'll recollect there was the um red wine over supply working group um that we mentioned to you during the inquiry that was um from I guess affected states um the Commonwealth and and industry as part of that um I guess those sorts of matters were considered. There was also um uh a report that was done by Kim Anderson who looked at I guess kind of various measures that um could um support the sector going forward. Um and as part of that I think he flagged um the potential perverse effects of kind of [snorts] exit or or transition um support as well. I mean principally we don't want to kind of return to sort of um situations of the past where we had um you know vinepool schemes I think through I'm going to ask m Miss Danyion I think the 80s
>> yeah 1986 and 1936
>> yeah look I won't I won't lab the point because I know we're behind time I'll just make the point it seems strange we treat farmers differently every other industry there are transition grants when when markets shift uh there's massive $8 billion ion dollar worth of support to the manufacturing sector right now which you know we need to do to keep those jobs but farmers when they face challenging times they're left on their own it is not acceptable um so but we'll move on I take you have a