Winepress - September 2022

Candidate Q&A

In the lead up to the local government elections, Winepress checks in with candidates in the Wairau Awatere ward.

Scott Adams

What are the major challenges facing Marlborough’s wine industry?

The major challenges are drainage, river and floodway management. This involves channel management, flood protection repairs and maintenance, as well as soil conservation to prevent the loss of productive land.

How can they be addressed?

By advocating to bring back central government legislation along the line of what was the Soil Conservation and River Control Act 1941, which was taken over by the Resource Management Act 1991. This is a nationwide issue. This allows the rivers department within council to get things done in a way that would protect key public infrastructure and productive land.

What opportunities lie ahead?

That the world’s wine consumers love of Marlborough wine continues with a growing demand for a great product.

How would you describe Marlborough’s wine industry in 15 words or fewer?

Evolving and maturing into a key primary industry exporter for New Zealand.

Sally Arbuckle

What are the major challenges facing Marlborough’s wine industry?

Major challenges I see for the Marlborough wine industry are labour issues, climate change issues for growing, and industry reputation.

How can they be addressed? Addressing labour issues is about making the industry attractive to young and old, creating secured well-paid jobs for locals and the RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme) workforce. Having good communication with central government is vital and local government can help advocate with the wine industry to government on industry needs. Climate change will impact the industry in many ways, from warmer overall climate that can have extremes from very wet weather to dry conditions. It will be important to adopt best industry practice and local government can help by investment and support into industry research and knowledge. Enabling policy and rules around water storage are required. Planting of non-productive land in natives plantings should be encouraged and council can provide incentives to do such work.

The many positive outcomes of the Marlborough wine industry can be quickly overshadowed by bad media stories around RSE care or poor industry practices. It’s important the industry reputation isn’t diminished by isolated incidences. Council can work with the wine industry through meeting regularly to help with concerns and make plans for a sustainable industry.

What opportunities lie ahead?

Opportunities are to continue a world leading industry that has sustainable environment practices and is known for its reputation of not just quality wines but its amazing people who produce a premium product. I would like to see further investigation done with Port Marlborough to look into container shipping of bottled wine out of Picton, instead of using Nelson port. Recent weather events are highlighting the vulnerability of the road between Blenheim and Nelson and future proofing distribution is vital.

How would you describe Marlborough’s wine industry in 15 words or fewer?

World leader for quality wines that is the heart of the Marlborough economy.

Gerald Hope

What are the major challenges facing Marlborough’s wine industry?

Being over 80% of New Zealand wine production it’s essential we preserve an ongoing skilled workforce through the successful RSE programme. Providing further training for local people to enter the grape and wine sector. Continue climate change adaptation, e.g. build more water storage and engineer efficient distribution to allow development in other parts of Marlborough such as Flaxbourne. Continue building onto the world leading Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme to keep ahead of consumer expectations. Disposing of winery waste efficiently with no environmental impacts. Enhancing soil health and increasing biodiversity across the region.

How can they be addressed?

Retaining and training a skilled productive grape and wine workforce through an effective contractors’ network and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) ITO Te Pūkenga programme. Increasing water storage is crucial for the future. Ensuring sustainable best practice across vineyards under SWNZ leadership into the future to meet changing environmental standards and international market expectations. Dealing with winery waste is an issue that needs council and industry collaboration to sort out on a permanent basis. Enriching the biomass in our vineyard soils by interrow cropping, application of vineyard and winery waste and other waste streams. Continue to support Marlborough Environment Awards and encourage plantings that add biodiversity to the Marlborough’s rural landscape.

What opportunities lie ahead?

With an ever-changing dynamic growing environment, it is crucial that long term investment into science and innovative technology is a priority to underpin grape growing and winemaking technology. Capability exists within Bragato Research Institute and Plant & Food Research to collaborate. Adapting to atmospheric temperature increases will allow other varieties of grapes to be grown. Return of international tourists will add economic value to the local economy and increase vibrancy and excitement to our communities.

How would you describe Marlborough’s wine industry in 15 words or fewer?

Stellar international reputation. A career for thousands of our people. Successfully producing $2 billion FOREX

Mike Insley

What are the major challenges facing Marlborough’s wine industry?

Marlborough is well supported with vineyard development expertise. However, that is only part of growing our industry. With continued development comes the increased need for permanent and seasonal staff, trade and professional support and services for those staff. There is often a lag in providing housing, transport infrastructure, cultural, health and other services vital to a thriving, growing community.

Climate change and its potential impacts on environmental and infrastructure resilience brings its own set of challenges, as does the transition to a cleaner, greener economy by 2050. Even more so when set against a requirement for improved productivity and profitability for many businesses.

How can they be addressed?

Your council can help to address these challenges by ensuring we continue to create the environment to attract new people, initiatives and businesses to Marlborough as well as ensuring regulation, zoning and infrastructure are fit for purpose now and over the next 30 years. There needs to be clarity and certainty around sustainable development within the region, protecting and enhancing the environment that all primary production relies on.

What opportunities lie ahead?

Fifty years on, with 70% of New Zealand’s vineyard area, Marlborough’s wine industry is still in its growth phase. Leveraging tourism to promote the wine industry will help to further build brand Marlborough, bringing benefits to the wider community as well as the wine industry.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc gives us a distinctive wine style from a defined region, with a likely annual supply of around 500,000 tonnes when fully planted (yes, one day the land will run out). The opportunity is to maximise the value out of this precious resource. How would you describe

Marlborough’s wine industry in 15 words or fewer?

World-leading and vibrant yet still with huge potential. The best is yet to come.

Chris Lippiatt

What are the major challenges facing Marlborough’s wine industry?

I’d say alcoholism. Also there’s a lot of attention on the treatment of RSE workers

How can they be addressed?

First challenge, what we could do is remove all the alcohol from our wine and not tell anybody. Like Ribena did with the Vitamin C. Then people can drink as much as they want with no harm. Second Challenge, we could, I don’t know, maybe pay them well. Give them decent healthcare and housing, not clip the ticket on their very low income so much. Otherwise our wine might be looked at as the next blood diamond. Which we would be frowned upon globally sure, but it would also mean DiCaprio would have to don a Kiwi accent for a movie in an attempt to gain another Oscar. So let’s just improve the lives of RSE workers and avoid all that.

What opportunities lie ahead?

Who knows? Maybe a new flavour where sommeliers review it and finally say ‘tastes like grapes’.

Describe Marlborough’s wine industry in 15 words or fewer?

They manufacture alcoholic grape juice… In Marlborough.