Federal Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon has spoken on a motion to support the growth of the craft beer brewing sector in an aim to generate employment, tourism and exports in both the Hunter and other regional communities.
Federal Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon has spoken on a motion to support the growth of the craft beer brewing sector in an aim to generate employment, tourism and exports in both the Hunter and other regional communities.
Joel Fitzgibbon and Labor colleague, Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese lodged a private members’ motion calling on the government to ensure policy settings encourage craft brewers.
With a number of craft brewers in the Hunter electorate Joel Fitzgibbon believes growth in the sector is a great opportunity to further diversify local tourism.
“This is a job-creating proposition, and, importantly for me, a regional job-creating proposition,” Mr Fitzgibbon said Monday evening.
The motion encourages state and local governments to tailor planning and development controls more favourably for craft beer endeavours.
At present, craft beer brewers are disadvantaged by an unfair excise tax system. Beer in a 50-litre or greater keg is charged one level of excise while if it is in a smaller container (most commonly used for craft beer batches), brewers are paying up to 40 per cent more excise than bigger competitors.
“We are not asking tonight for any particular advantage for craft brewers; we are just asking for a level playing field. But it is not just about the tax, of course. As the member for Grayndler indicated, this is a job-creating proposition,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“In my own region in Hunter wine country, we are enjoying new economic diversity. They once just came to sample wine at the cellar door. Then we opened restaurants, so they came for our restaurants as well. Then we moved on to concerts, weddings and balloon rides. Increasingly and very quickly, we are now moving on to beer tasting. That is the sort of diversity you want in any region to cushion you against the shocks.
“There’s great potential for beer tours, which they are already having in his (Mr Albanese) part of the world. It is already happening in Newcastle, not so distant from me. I have no doubt that those tours will make their way up to the Hunter as well.”
The burgeoning craft beer scene in the Hunter has already provided a boost to the local economy, but will be better supported by a fairer tax rate for producers.
“Just in my own backyard, I have the IronBark Hill Brewhouse, the Hunter Valley Beer Co., the Lovedale Brewery, the Hope Brewhouse and the Matilda Bay Brewhouse Hunter Valley. Once it would have been sacrilegious to have beers, a brewery and a pub, if you like, in the heart of the Hunter wine country. It is making an enormous difference. It is creating jobs,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“I welcome it because it is creating jobs in my electorate. It is creating jobs right across this country. Every member in this place should be supporting this initiative.”
With the motion garnering bipartisanship in the House of Representatives, Joel Fitzgibbon now hopes to see action from the Coalition Government to facilitate growth in the craft beer brewing sector.
Read the full transcript of the speech here.
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