Grape and Wine Legislation Amendment (Australian Grape and Wine Authority) Act 2013

Key Features of the New Authority

• Board (called directors): Between 6 and 8 directors total (a Chair plus 5–7 others), appointed by the Minister but mostly nominated through an independent Selection Committee that includes industry representatives
• Accountability: Must produce annual reports, hold public industry meetings (annual general meetings), and report directly to industry organisations
• Funding: Receives levies (compulsory fees) paid by grape growers and winemakers, plus matching government contributions (capped at 0.5% of the industry's gross production value)
• Research agreements: Can fund research by others, partner with others on joint research, and apply for patents on discoveries

Transition Arrangements

• All assets (property, money, contracts) and liabilities (debts, legal obligations) of the two old bodies automatically transferred to the new Authority on 1 July 2014 — no extra paperwork was needed
• Any legal cases that were underway continued with the new Authority stepping into the old bodies' shoes
• Staff records transferred across automatically
• Initial board members could be drawn from former members of the old bodies to ensure continuity

Why It Matters

If you grow grapes or make wine in Australia, the Authority is the main government-funded body that supports your industry — funding research, helping promote Australian wine overseas, and regulating exports. This law created that body and set out exactly how it operates, who runs it, and how it must account for the money it spends.