A dedicated Executive Officer, independent Chair and a skills-based Board are set to be established for the Australian grape and wine sector’s national sustainability program Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.
The changes implement recommendations from an independent governance review that provided an evidence-backed pathway to increase clarity, efficiency and responsiveness, as well as supporting the Program to anticipate future needs.
Australian Grape & Wine, Wine Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute have backed the changes with a new agreement for 2025–30, that strengthens their shared and longstanding commitment to the Program. Through the changes, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia will have appropriate oversight, governance, established funding and committed resourcing – positioning the critical program to deliver value to Australian grapegrowers, winemakers and the broader sector. This will include a focus on how to drive continuous improvement of the ease of use and cost effectiveness of the program on behalf of its members.
“Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is fundamental for the sector in continuing to improve its ESG practices and demonstrating its sustainability credentials around the world. This new agreement demonstrates that Australian Grape & Wine, Wine Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute are aligned in strengthening and improving the Program, supporting its success into the future,” said Lee McLean, CEO of Australian Grape & Wine.
Wine Australia CEO Dr Martin Cole said the agreement provides confidence to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia members and the wine sector that the Program will continue to be supported and evolve with market requirements.
“Sustainability is a strategic imperative for the sector. It is critical to our resilience and competitiveness throughout a changing operational environment that is being driven by climate change and market, consumer and regulatory pressures. As a key element of the sector’s sustainability framework, we’re delighted to sign a new joint agreement for Sustainable Winegrowing Australia that will see the Program resourced, strengthened and equipped to support the sector’s current and future needs,” Dr Cole said.
Australian Wine Research Institute Managing Director Dr Mark Krstic said the changes to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia build on its strong foundations as a holistic sustainability program and its growing membership base.
“We’re delighted to reach a new agreement for the benefit of the sector. Collectively, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia members represent around 70 per cent of Australia’s vineyard area and winery members crushed more than 80 per cent of Australia’s winegrapes this year. There are more than 1800 members, more than 1200 of whom are certified through the Program. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia provides a framework of annual self‑assessments, benchmarking against industry data, and independent certification audits that track and verify progress across sustainable practices,” Dr Krstic said.
A transitional period will see a new independent Chair, Board and Executive Officer recruited. During this period, the Australian Wine Research Institute will continue to deliver the program providing continuity for members. The current Sustainable Winegrowing Australia lead, Dr Mardi Longbottom, will serve as interim Executive Officer while recruitment is underway. For further information about the Chair role, the position is advertised here.
The Australian Wine Research Institute has committed to contributing Sustainable Winegrowing Australia’s membership and training income to be invested through Wine Australia’s Research & Innovation Fund. In practice, this means that the new arrangements for Sustainable Winegrowing Australia will be funded through this mechanism rather than by levies collected from grapegrowers and winemakers.
