The Food and Beverage Manufacturing Roadmap released on Monday earlier this week was a welcomed plan by many. One company happy to see this plan is Alcohol Beverages Australia.
“The proposed funding and strategies will serve as a much-needed relief to our brewers, distillers, and winemakers, especially those in regional Australia,” said Andrew Wilsmore, CEO of Alcohol Beverage Australia.
According to Wilsmore, the roadmap will complement the Alcohol Beverage Industry’s ten-year growth plan launched earlier this month. The plan, titled ‘Vision 2030’, will be supported by the roadmap through similar industry goals and policy partnerships.
In 2019-2020, the alcohol manufacturing sector invested $465 million in capital expenditure with Wilsmore stating that the sector investments were continuing to grow 6.7 per cent per year, as they have done for the past five years.
“We are clearly a powerhouse leader within wider manufacturing and are remarkable for providing value-add through every stage of the supply chain from paddock to palate,” said Wilsmore.
“Our heart is in the country with many of our breweries, distilleries and wineries obtaining icon status in their region and recognised around the world. Being largely regionally based, a plan to grow beverage manufacturing is a plan to grow regional jobs and create value-added careers making a critical and meaningful impact in regional communities across Australia.”