Columnists. Industry leader opinions

COLLABORATION ESSENTIAL TO CREATING AWARENESS

Simon Strahan is the Chief Executive Officer of DrinkWise

In late 2018, DrinkWise launched our Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Program. Recognising the importance of whole-ofcommunity involvement in health and awareness programs, the program takes a collaborative partnership approach - harnessing our relationships with industry and government to create awareness of the preventable disorder, and remind those who may be pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, that it’s safest not to drink while pregnant. Educational advertisements with Deborah Mailman and Aaron Pedersen are playing in medical clinics across Australia, educating consumers and encouraging medical staff to discuss alcohol consumption with their patients. In the first three months of the campaign, the videos were played in rural and remote general practices over two million times, reaching 2.7million people. This was made possible by our partnership with the Australian Government. The messaging for GPs and practice staff has appeared in these practices over 900,000 times over the same period. A survey of the practices showed that the materials resonate with medical staff, who view the messaging as important and agree it should continue to be promoted in practices. A quarter of those who responded reported that alcohol consumption during pregnancy had been raised by their patients and nine in ten agreed that the messaging assists them to have conversations about alcohol and family planning, pregnancy and breastfeeding with their patients. Concurrently, the awareness program is being promoted through partnerships with the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and retailers via consumer education materials at cellar doors and retail stores. The videos are also being played across the Aboriginal Health TV Network and radio program Jam Pakt and included in Bounty Bags issued to new mothers at hospitals.

RETAIL DRINKS DEVELOPS STRATEGIC PLAN

Julie Ryan is Chief Executive Officer of Retail Drinks Australia

Given the pace in which Retail Drinks achieved the ALSA restructure, it’s not surprising we have received inquiries about our momentum and plans for 2019. I will do my best to answer them! Retail Drinks had an eventful start to 2019 with the holding of its first Board Meeting at Campari’s Sydney offices. The board determined Retail Drinks’ policy objectives on issues such as the regulation of the online alcohol delivery space, which will be used to engage with government regarding sustainable regulation in scheduled consultations in Western Australia, NSW and Victoria. Retail Drinks has also continued its advocacy and lobbying efforts in relation to the Northern Territory (NT) government alcohol reforms. We lodged comprehensive submissions on the proposed risk-based licensing framework and draft guidelines on visual and physical separation, made recommendations for increased grant programs for small business, and proposed amendments to the cap on alcohol sales in licensed grocers. Initial meetings to follow up these submissions have been very positive and we are optimistic about a continuing collaboration with the NT Government to ensure better outcomes for our members. The management team and several directors will be attending a two-day workshop to finalise Retail Drinks’ overarching strategic plan and other key priorities for the remainder of this year. These will be incorporated into the draft strategic plan that the Retail Drinks team will socialise with members in the second quarter of this year, with a view to having a final board approved strategic plan to be presented to members at the inaugural AGM in the last quarter of 2019. Communications will continue through 2019 in relation to our re-shaped delivery of advocacy, policy and services to all of the liquor retail industry in Australia, aimed at enhancing the freedom to retail responsibly.

ELECTION AND OUR INDUSTRY

Stuart Gregor is the President of the Australian Distillers Association (ADA) and co-founder of Four Pillars Gin

We Australians are a lucky bunch aren’t we? We get to choose our elected representatives almost every year. Some years, like 2019, the good citizens of NSW get to go to the polls twice in a couple of months. How many democracy sausages can one stomach handle . . . . And we in the drinks business seem to get thoroughly shafted by whichever political party takes the reigns post-election. Our mates at the ABA reported that our broader industry contributes $158 billion annually and provides direct and indirect employment for some 590,000 Australians. We are a serious bunch of businesses. But because we sell booze we are not as influential as we should be, we allow the neo-prohibitionists and the anti-alcohol lobby to win most policy and public debate. And we shouldn’t take it any more. Most Australians, the vast majority, use alcohol safely and well within health guidelines and the industry itself provides huge social benefits, possibly some health benefits and plays an enormous role in a civilized, coherent society and employs heaps of people. Yet we all get bundled into the “booze is bad” basket and for whatever reason we seem unprepared to fight. In 2019 we are closing in on 150 local craft distilleries which would put us ahead of Scotland, yet our exports are just $20 million. That figure could be $200 million, and then maybe $1 billion if the government encouraged, rather than actively discouraged, our spirit-making endeavours. The poor drinker pays 70 per cent more tax on a glass of spirits here than your Kiwi cousins, and please don’t get me started on the USA which is lower again. We have issues with alcohol misuse in Australia but they are not being caused by distillers, winemakers, brewers or hospitality operators. Let’s get active at these elections and really put it to candidates of both sides that they should support our industry, not hamper it with ridiculous legislative agendas aimed at appeasing vocal minorities.