Freedom of Information disclosure and information publication scheme

AGWA180915

15 October 2015

Export documentation

1. Documentation pertaining to the relevant exporter and submitted via Wine Australia's Wine Export Approval System; and
2. Documents relating to export permits issued to the relevant exporter.

The information was released on the grounds that the applicant had been nominated as a qualified person by the relevant exporter

AGWA051216

23 December 2016

Documents relating to:

• the current Freedom of Information Delegations; and
• any related directions issued in respect of Freedom of Information.

All relevant documents released in full including:

• An email thread relating to Freedom of Information delegations
• An instrument of delegation confirming the authority arrangement with respect FOI requests made to Wine Australia
• A copy of Wine Australia's Freedom of Information Policy

WA06112019

18 April 2019

Wine Australia’s operational information including policies, guidelines, codes of practice and procedures governing Freedom of Information. 

1. Wine Australia’s Freedom of Information Policy 

GIC14012020

26 February 2020

Any application made to the Geographical Indications Committee (GIC) with respect to the grape growing area of Wilyabrup, and any material that indicates the matters considered by the GIC in deciding whether to make an interim determination of Wilyabrup in relation to the criteria set out in section 57 of the Wine Australia Regulations 2018.

1.  Application submitted to the GIC for the determination of Wilyabrup as a geographical indication (GI) on 8 November 2017.
2. The brief prepared by the Registrar of Geographical Indications and Other Terms to assist the GIC in making its decision with respect to interim determination of Wilyabrup as a geographical indication.
3. The following attachments to the above:
   • An analysis of the application submitted on 8 November 2017 (identified as Annexure 2 in the brief)
   • A table mapping section 57 elements against the GI application (identified as Annexure 31 in the brief)
   • Maps generated by Wine Australia (identified as Annexure 23 in the brief)
   • Excerpt of Division 4 of Part VIB of the Wine Australia Act 2013, and section 57 of the Wine Australia Regulations 2018 (identified as Annexure 32 in the brief).
4. Additional information submitted to support the application of 8 November 2017 being:
   • Report and overall summary by Dr John Gladstones (identified as Annexure 18 in the brief)*
   • CV Dr Jatin Kala, Senior lecturer in Atmospheric science and ARC DECRA fellow (identified as Annexure 19 in the brief)
   • Climatic data report from Dr Jatin Kala (identified as Annexure 20 in the brief)*
   • Wilyabrup map (identified as Annexure 21 in the brief)
   • Wilyabrup GI textural description (identified as Annexure 22 in the brief).
5. Minutes of the GIC meeting of 15 November 2019 at which it first formally considered the second application.
6. Minutes of the GIC meeting of 4 December 2019 at which the decision to make an interim determination was made.

 *A third party objected to the disclosure of these documents

WA25022020

8 April 2020

1. A copy of six specific contracts between Wine Australia and Hellmann
2. A copy of Wine Australia’s procurement policy; and any documented decisions relating to Wine Australia’s selection of the freight forwarder.
3. A list of business names and addresses that Wine Australia maintains for the purposes of sending information to its stakeholders

1. Wine Australia’s Procurement Policy
2. Logistics Briefing – China Roadshow 2019 and Logistics Briefing – China Roadshow 2020 (released in part)

GIC11082020

9 October 2020

• A copy of the brief considered by the Geographical Indications Committee in deciding not to make a final determination of Wilyabrup as a Geographical Indication on 30 July 2020; and
• a copy of the Margaret River Wine Association’s submission to the GIC opposing the proposed Geographical Indication, Wilyabrup.

The final brief considered by the Geographical Indications Committee including the submission by the Margaret River Wine Association with necessary redactions to prevent the unreasonable disclosure of personal information.

An extension was allowed for third-party consultation

WA01012022

23 March 2022

Documents relating to: 

• the change of name from Australian Grape and Wine Authority to Wine Australia, and 
• the creation and/or adoption of the slogan "Wine Australia for Australian Wine" and the timeframe as to when the slogan “Wine Australia for Australian Wine” was adopted.

The following documents were released in full:

• Letter from Wine Australia’s Chair, Mr Brian Walsh, to Senator Anne Ruston (in the capacity of the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources), dated 23 November 2015.
• Letter from the Chief Executive of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, Paul Evans, and the Executive Director of Wine Grape Growers Australia, Lawrie Stanford, to Senator Anne Ruston, dated 23 November 2015.
• Letter from Senator Anne Ruston to Wine Australia’s Chair, Mr Brian Walsh, dated 29 February 2016.
• PowerPoint presentation prepared for the Board of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority, dated 24 June 2015.
• Branding refresh reactive questions and answers prepared for internal use by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority ahead of Australia Day Tasting, dated 26 January 2016.

The following documents were released in part:

• Letter from Senator Anne Ruston to Wine Australia’s Chair, Mr Brian Walsh, dated 23 November 2015.
• Paper prepared for the Board of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority, dated 24 June 2015.

Exempt or irrelevant matter was redacted. 

Extensions were allowed for third-party consultation and because the request was complex and voluminous.

Documents relating to: 

Wine Australia’s estimates briefing pack, including back pocket briefs, for the 2022 October and November Budget Estimates

Documents relating to:

The recognition by Wine Australia of the ‘Crystal’ grape as a wine variety.

The following documents were released in full:

• Brash Higgins Wines Crystal wine labels and sparking white website submitted to the Wine Industry Technical Advisory Committee in support of the Crystal grape variety registration.
•  Page 283 of “Wine grapes: a complete guide to 1368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours” (2013), written by Robinson, J., Harding, J. and Vouillamoz, J.

 The following documents were released in part:

• Email correspondence from 4 February 2019 to 15 February 2019 between Brash Higgins Wines and Wine Australia, following a telephone enquiry about the Crystal grape variety
• DNA analysis results submitted to the Wine Industry Technical Advisory Committee in support of the Crystal grape variety registration.
• Agenda for the Wine Industry Technical Advisory Committee (WITAC) meeting of 19 February 2019.
• Unsigned minutes of the meeting of the Wine Industry Technical Advisory Committee Meeting of 19 February 2019.
• Email correspondence from 11 September 2019 to 12 May 2020 between the Department of Agriculture, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Australian Grape and Wine and Wine Australia requesting that the OIV add Crystal to the approved grape variety list.
• Email correspondence on 23 July 2020 between Wine Australia and Australian Grape and Wine about the addition of Crystal synonyms to the Organisation of Vine and Wine approved grape variety list.
• Email correspondence from 24 January 2020 to 30 January 2020 between Brash Higgins Wines and Wine Australia demonstrating that the Organisation of Vine and Wine had yet to update the approved grape variety list to include Crystal
• Email correspondence from 4 February 2019 to 4 March 2019 between Brash Higgins Wines and Wine Australia regarding their suggestion to adopt a grower register
• Email correspondence from 11 September 2019 to 30 March 2020 between the Department of Agriculture, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Australian Grape and Wine and Wine Australia demonstrating that the OIV had actioned the update of the register.

Documents relating to:

• any emails or other communications (e.g. meeting invitations/speeches/videos/transcripts/memorandums/revised chief executive instructions or equivalent) directed at all staff about either the Royal Commission on the Robo-debt Scheme (‘the Royal Commission’), or the government response to the Royal Commission from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023;
• any emails or other communications (e.g. meeting invitations/speeches/videos/transcripts/memorandums/revised chief executive instructions or equivalent) directed at all SES (or equivalent) staff about the Royal Commission on the Robo-debt Scheme, or the government response to the Royal Commission from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023; 
• any brief prepared for Senate estimates in October 2023 relating to how the agency was responding to the Royal Commission or the government response to the Royal Commission from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023;
• any brief, agenda paper, submission (or similar) to the agency’s executive leadership group/senior leadership group (or however named in your agency) about how the agency was responding to the Royal Commission or implementing the government response to the Royal Commission from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023; and
• any document relating to changing training modules/induction (or similar) (whether internally or externally delivered), to incorporate information about the Royal Commission or the government response to the Royal Commission from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023.   

The following documents were released in part:

• Internal email providing information as to automated decision making in government survey, and convening meeting to discuss next steps regarding the survey and longer-term governance implications regarding AIDM.
• Internal email correspondence convening a meeting to discuss next steps re the AI in Government Taskforce survey regarding agency use of automated decision-making, and longer-term governance implications re automated decision making (particularly in light of Regulation 116 of the Wine Australia Regulations 2018 (Cth)).

Exempt or irrelevant matter was redacted.    

Request for access to the Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides used by Wine Australia.