MGA meets with QLD Minister for Small Business Hon Di Farmer MP

NATIONAL QUEENSLAND

Locally produced packaged wines, beers and spirits for QLD community grocers

On Tuesday 25th May, MGA’s Jos de Bruin and Debbie Smith met with the QLD Minister for Small Business Di Farmer, as well as Attorney General Shannon Fentiman and Minister for Industrial Relations Grace Grace’s Senior Advisers. The meeting was to discuss two major priorities essential to the future survival and viability of the independent grocery and supermarket sector in Queensland. They being; 1. The Entrepreneurial Pipeline

Project (EPP) makes several recommendations to drive the growth and prosperity of local

QLD artisans fresh and gourmet food products as well as QLD produced wines, beers and spirits and 2. Addressing the five year Trading

Hours (TH) Moratorium, which comes to an end in August 2022.

Both matters go and hand in hand in terms of importance and priority.

Minister Grace Grace’s Adviser indicated that the Moratorium on Trading Hours review would commence in August 2021. MGA will be kept fully informed of the following steps regarding the lodging of submissions to defend the continuation of the moratorium.

Attorney General Shannon Fentiman’s Adviser fostered support for the EP project but indicated a few challenges from various quarters of government and other industry sectors toward independent grocery and supermarkets availing themselves to stock and sell local QLD wines, beers and spirits.

MGA will keep members informed of any progress after further meetings with QLD Ministers in coming months.

Discussions took place to explain the origins of the EPP and why the EPP and the TH Moratorium go hand in hand.

MGA explained that the purpose of the five year Trading Hours Moratorium in QLD was predicated upon the independent grocery and supermarket sector being able to develop and establish a “whole of meal” solution. To create a solid competitive point of difference between the two major chain stores and the German retailer, which already dominate the QLD food and grocery landscape.

The two major chain stores can already stock, promote and sell packaged liquor. The independents cannot.

Minister Farmer was very keen to pursue the EPP and could see the powerful case for QLD owned grocers and supermarkets to stock, promote and sell local wine, beers and spirits.

The peak QLD bodies representing the wine, boutique beers and artisan spirits producers fully support the EPP and would like to see their local businesses grow., with their products ranged in QLD owned grocery and supermarket outlets.

MGA has advanced and recommended the Tasmanian local packaged liquor licensing model, allowing artisan wines, beers, and spirits to be sold from within the grocery and supermarket gourmet food sections in the stores – local wine with local cheeses, for example.