30 September 2024
Mr Charles Thurmond
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Thurmond,
Freedom of Information Request – WA01092024
I refer to your request in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(Cth)
(
FOI Act) of 1 September 2024 for access to the documents released under
item number “WA01012022” on Wine Australia’s FOI disclosure log hosted on
Wine Australia’s website (
FOI Request).
This letter sets out my decision in relation to your FOI Request. I am an authorised
decision-maker under section 23 of the FOI Act.
At the outset, I note that the change of name from the Australian Grape and
Wine Authority to Wine Australia was initiated by a legislative process and
that the relevant parliamentary documents and legislation can be accessed
via the following links:
• Australian Grape and Wine Authority Amendment (Wine Australia) Bill
2017; and
• Australian Grape and Wine Authority Amendment (Wine Australia) Act
2017.
Decision
In reaching my decision, I referred to the following:
• the terms of the FOI Request;
• documents relevant to the FOI Request;
• the FOI Act;
• guidelines published by the OAIC Guidelines under section 93A of the FOI
Act; and
• consultation responses from third parties consulted in accordance with the
FOI Act.
As set out at
Annexure A, I have identified documents that fall within the scope of
the FOI Request. My decision in relation to each of the documents is summarised
in the table contained in
Annexure A.
Of the documents/part documents to which access has not been granted, such
decision has been reached on the grounds that the documents/part documents are
either:
• irrelevant matters (section 22 of the FOI Act); or
• conditionally exempt because disclosure would involve the unreasonable
disclosure of personal information, and it is not in the public interest for that
information to be disclosed (section 47F of the FOI Act).
The documents to which I have granted access are included as
Annexure B.
Your review rights
If you are dissatisfied with my decision, you may apply for an internal review, or for
a review by the Information Commissioner as set out below.
Internal review
Under section 54 of the FOI Act, you may apply in writing to Wine Australia for an
internal review of my decision. The internal review application must be made within
30 days of the date of this letter. Where possible, please attach reasons why you
believe review of the decision is necessary. The internal review will be carried out
by another officer within 30 days.
Information Commissioner review
Under section 54L of the FOI Act, you may apply to the Australian Information
Commissioner to review my decision. An application for review by the Information
Commissioner must be made in writing within 60 days of the date of this letter, and
be lodged in one of the following ways:
• online:
oaic.gov.au
• email:
xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
• post:
GPO Box 5218 Sydney 2001
More information about the Information Commissioner review is available on the
OAIC website.
FOI Complaints
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your FOI Request or wish to
discuss the decision with me, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Ned Hewitson
Authorised Decision Maker under the FOI Act
Wine Australia
xxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
0499 742 851
Encl. Annexures A and B (as above).
Annexure A
Doc. #
Date
Size
Description
Decision on access
Exemption (FOI Act)
Section 22 of the FOI Act
- Access to edited copies
with exempt or irrelevant
Decision letter dated 23 March 2022 with referenced
Access granted with
matter redacted.
1
23 March 2022
97 pages
appendix.
redactions
Section 47F of the FOI Act
– Personal Privacy.
Annexure B
Annexure B commences on the following page.
Document 1
23 November 2015
Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Dear Assistant Minister
As discussed, on reflecting on the first 17 months of operation of the Australian Grape and Wine
Authority (AGWA), it has become very clear to us that it would be beneficial for AGWA to undertake
all of its activities as
Wine Australia, the branding we have used globally for many years for our
marketing activities.
Earlier in the year, when we submitted our Strategic Plan 2015–2020 to Minister Joyce for approval,
we also sought his agreement for the change to Wine Australia, explaining that this was
unequivocally supported by our winegrape growers and winemakers during our extensive
consultation process for developing the plan. ‘The Australian Grape and Wine Authority’ is regarded
as being an overly bureaucratic name that makes the organisation’s responsibilities unclear. In
response, the Minister agreed to AGWA undertaking its promotional activities as Wine Australia, and
this has been very well received both domestically and internationally. Overseas events are held
using the clear and unifying Wine Australia name and all of the participants – Australian wine
companies and overseas trade, media and consumers – understand the purpose of the event is to
promote Australian wine.
However, we would like all of our activities and responsibilities to be united under the Wine
Australia banner, so that there is a seamless link between investments in research, development and
extension (RD&E), regulatory services and promotion activities. Continuing to present ourselves
under both AGWA and Wine Australia is both confusing for our stakeholders and diminishes our
effectiveness.
We formally request that our name being changed by way of amendment to the
Australian Grape
and Wine Authority Act 2013. We appreciate that such a legislative amendment will take some time
so seek your early agreement to use Wine Australia for all our activities with immediate effect.
We have consulted with our peak sector bodies – the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and Wine
Grape Growers Australia – who agree with this request and their letter of support is attached.
We understand that there may have been a desire at the time of AGWA’s formation to ensure that
the grapegrowing community was not overlooked or inadvertently subjugated by including ‘Grape’
in the organisation's title. We believe that this concern was unfounded. The reality is that we
Page 1
encourage the grower community to think and act as winegrowers not grapegrowers, so that there
is a constant focus on value adding. Our role and activities are ‘from vine to glass’ and, wherever in
the value chain we sit, the whole of the grape and wine community is focused on producing
Australian wine.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with you.
Yours sincerely
Brian Walsh
Chair
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Document 2
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Document 4
Page 7
What is the purpose of this review?
• Define and Clarify who and what we are?
• What is our Culture?
• Clarity around where our focus is?
• Clarity around what is our role
• Clarity around who are our customers?
• Clarity around what we can deliver?
Page 9
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
The Process we went through
The workshop
• Team review of Who we are + what we stand for!
• What do we think we provide and to who?
Page 11
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
The Framework
• Review of “The Company”
• Review of “Our Customers”
• Review of “Our Category”
• Review of “Our Culture”
I.
Analytical review of our Organisation structure
II.
Understand our customers perceptions of us and their objectives
III. We know our market better
IV. Understand our own cultural roadblocks
Page 12
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
What we found!
TECHNICAL
MINDSET /
CONSUMER
ATTITUDE /
LED MINDSET
PUBLIC SERVICE
The Next Steps:
• Need to change our perception of life – become less rigid in our views
• Become less bureaucratic – more open minded
• Target results and commercial outcomes
• We become much more flexible and agile in our complete thought processes
• Significant Cultural change
• Become one Unified team
Page 13
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
What we need to do!
Create a clear vision and strategy
“How we’ll get there is by focusing on establishing and consistently
demonstrating our fine wine credentials”
“Fine wine will act as a ‘halo’ over all Australian wines, allowing us to grow
value (rather than volume) over time”
Page 14
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
Our Challenge for the Brand
Come up with a distinctive look and feel that mimics:
FAUX EUROPE
LOOKS TOO WINE GENERIC
SKIPPY THE KANGAROO!
Further, we need the branding to be able align/fit with Tourism
Australia’s new ‘food and wine’ approach, as they have the
money and reach to be able to impact global consumers
Page 17
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
The Tools we use to codify the brand
We must constantly ask ourselves
• What – we must deliver
• How – we must behave to fulfil our purpose
• Why – why are we here!
Page 20
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
Why we exist!
To make Australia the world
thought-leader in wine
•
We exists to set the vision for, and
facilitate the movement of the
pendulum of “fine wine thought-
leadership” from Bordeaux to
Australia
•
We cannot affect this pendulum
swing alone
•
We can be the enabler/coach
•
We need to set the strategic vision,
rally the domestic industry around it,
then arm them with the tools and
intelligence required to realise it
Page 21
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
What are our values?
Consumer-led
• Connected to culture, needs, appetites and
trends
Transparent
• Our information and ‘strategies for success’
must be easy to find, understand, apply,
share, and interact with (technical reports
buried on a bureaucratic website won’t cut
the mustard).
• As a Levy-funded organisation, to garner
trust and drive relevancy, we must be
transparent in how we operate.
Revolutionary
In order to realise our purpose – making
• We cannot rest on our laurels again. We
Australia the global thought-leader in wine
will need to constantly disrupt and
– we must adopt the following which will
challenge ourselves, which requires a
drive how we behave:
revolutionary mindset
Page 22
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
What we need to start doing?
• Being the Platform to deliver the
ideas and Strategy for industry
• Being much more informed and
consumer led
• Technically on the ball
• Approachable and less Beige!
Page 23
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
So what do we become?
• We truly enabler
• We become a real coach /
mentor
• We Inspire action
• We rally the herd
• We Provide vision and support
• We Provide the Wine Intelligence
that industry needs!
Page 24
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
Putting it all together
• Agree the brand framework
• Develop our behaviours
• Articulate our delivery
• Initiate action
Page 25
Australian Grape and Wine Authority – Wine Australia
www.wineaustralia.com
Document 6
MEETING 3/2015 OF THE BOARD
WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE 2015 AT 9:00AM
HOTEL REALM, CANBERRA
BOARD MEMBERS
Mr B WALSH
Chair
Mr B CROSER AO
Deputy Chair
Ms E BROWN
Mr J CASELLA
(Apology)
Ms J MCDONALD
Mr I HENDERSON
Mr J FORREST
Mr K WILLIAMS AM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Mr A CLARK
GM CORPORATE SERVICES
Mr S WEINERT
GM MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Mr S BARCLAY
Dept. AGRICULTURE OBSERVER
Ms F FREEMAN
Page 27
MEETING AGENDA/INDEX
7. Market Development 13.00 to 14.00
7.1
Branding update
71
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Document 7
Branding Refresh Reactive Q&A - ADT
Why have you changed your brand?
In the lead-up to our brand refresh we conducted extensive research to better understand our
audience and their current perception of Australian wine.
Fol owing on from the merger of Wine Australia Corporation and Grape and Wine Research
and Development Corporation, we saw an opportunity to refresh our brand to bring Australia’s
fine wine credentials to life and move away from Australiana stereotypes and clichés, and
generic wine imagery.
How does the new brand tie-in to your strategy?
We’ve focused on greater integration of our marketing, RD&E and regulatory activities for the
benefit of the Australian grape and wine sector through our Strategic Plan which identified two
clear priorities:
1. Increasing demand and the premium paid for Australian wine
2. Increasing competitiveness
These priorities support our long-term cross-generational goal for Australia to be recognised as
the pre-eminent wine producing country.
Our brand refresh visual y encapsulates the contemporary face of Australian wine today, one of
quality, innovation and community.
What’s happened to Skippy?
The use of the ‘Skippy’ logo has been in decline at Wine Australia events over the last 18
months as the Wine Australia brand takes a secondary position to individual brands, regions
and the primary Australian wine story.
We have now rolled-out a brand refresh and simplified our logo so that the Australian wine
story remains front and centre.
Which regions have been photographed?
We have completed shoots in McLaren Vale, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley, and re-
touched existing images from the Hunter. We plan to photograph additional regions in the
future.
Page 90
Why is my brand or image not featured in the branding?
As part of our branding refresh we worked with a small group of Australian winemakers and
viticulturists who kindly agreed to be photographed. Some of these people have brands
participating in the ADT but they were photographed as part of an overall branding refresh, not
because of their involvement in the ADT.
Who was chosen and why were they chosen?
We worked with our regional association partners to identify a number of people from the
Australian wine community that included winemakers and viticulturists.
The final list chosen was based on a number of mitigating factors including ease of access,
availability and broad representation of the Australian wine community.
The people chosen came from regions including:
• Adelaide Hil s
• McLaren Vale
• Tasmania
• Yarra Valley
Can I be included in the branding?
We plan to photograph more people from the Australian wine community in the future. If you’re
interested in being involved please get in touch.
Page 91
Document Outline
