Christine Milne

Australian Senate Australian Greens Leader

Wednesday 9 May 2012

media release

Excise reform will help microbreweries flourish

Reforming the excise treatment of beer from microbreweries, long lobbied for by the Australian real Craft Breweries Association and the Greens, is a good start to supporting the growth of a sustainable industry creating great regional jobs. The production cap in the definition of microbrewery and the low excise rebate threshold meant that the excise scheme had been crippling the growth of the industry. Ive been campaigning for this change to support the microbrewery industry in Australia since 2008 because small craft breweries are fantastic, sustainable jobs creators particularly in rural and regional Australia, supporting local producers and increasing local tourism ventures, Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said. The removal of the cap on the amount of beer a microbrewery can make without losing any excise rebate assistance will help craft breweries grow and compete without this arbitrary handicap. The lifting of the 60% excise rebate cap from $10,000 to $30,000 is also welcome, but given that alcohol excise increases twice a year every year with CPI and had not increased for over a decade, does not go far enough. The Greens will keep working on this issue to secure indexation of the $30,000 cap on excise rebate, to make sure this fairer threshold doesnt once again become completely out of step with regular excise increases. The Government has made good steps on this reform. Why not complete the task and grow more regional jobs? Details to the changes to the microbrewery excise can be found at: http://www.budget.gov.au/2012-13/content/bp2/html/bp2_revenue-09.htm

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562