Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026

The short answer

Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026

The Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 is a government bill introduced in the House of Representatives on 1 July 2026 under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio. According to the official summary on the Parliament of Australia bill page, the bill would amend the Wine Australia Act 2013 to enable Wine Australia to conduct or arrange surveys of the grape and wine industry, including to support the operation of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and to enable Wine Australia to use and disclose information for authorised purposes. It would also amend the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 2024 to enable the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) to disclose certain information to non-Commonwealth persons or bodies, and would make a technical amendment to an existing rule-making power. The bill forms part of the government's response to Dr Craig Emerson's Review of regulatory options for the wine and grape sector and is the vehicle for a mandatory code of conduct for wine grape purchases. The bill passed the House of Representatives on 13 August 2026 without amendment, and completed its Senate stages on 11 September 2026. As at 12 September 2026 it is not yet enacted and awaits Royal Assent.

This is a federal system guide. State constitutions, parliaments and local-government laws can allocate comparable functions differently.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

Evidence review

What the bill is about

The Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 is a government bill introduced by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on 1 July 2026, and the second reading was moved the same day by Julie Maree Collins MP (ALP), the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. It has since passed the House of Representatives and completed its Senate stages.

According to the official summary on the Parliament of Australia bill page, the bill would amend the Wine Australia Act 2013 to enable Wine Australia to conduct or arrange surveys of the grape and wine industry, including to support the operation of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and to enable Wine Australia to use and disclose information for authorised purposes. It would also amend the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 2024 to enable ABARES to disclose certain information to non-Commonwealth persons or bodies, and would make a technical amendment to an existing rule-making power.

Evidence review

How the bill would change the current framework

Australia's wine industry is governed by a complex regulatory framework centred on the Wine Australia Act 2013, which established Wine Australia as the statutory authority responsible for research, marketing, and regulation of wine exports. The Act also provides for the Geographical Indications (GI) system, which protects regional wine names such as 'Barossa Valley' and 'Margaret River'.

Under the bill, Wine Australia would gain explicit powers to conduct or arrange surveys of the grape and wine industry, including surveys that support the operation of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and to use and disclose information for authorised purposes. The amendments to the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 2024 would allow ABARES to disclose certain information to persons or bodies outside the Commonwealth, together with a technical amendment to an existing rule-making power.

The bill also gives effect to a significant element of the government's response to Dr Craig Emerson's Review of regulatory options for the wine and grape sector: a mandatory code of conduct for wine grape purchases. The review found that contracting practices and bargaining power imbalances between growers and winemakers could not be adequately addressed under the existing voluntary code, and recommended a mandatory framework. The bill would expand Wine Australia's data-collection powers so that information gathered through industry surveys can be shared with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to support the administration and enforcement of the mandatory code. The official summary does not refer to changes to wine labelling standards or export certification arrangements.

Evidence review

Who would be affected

The Australian wine industry is a significant agricultural sector, contributing over $2 billion annually in exports. The bill would directly affect wine producers, exporters, and the broader supply chain including grape growers, winemakers, and labelling companies.

Wine Australia, as the body named in the bill, would be responsible for conducting or arranging industry surveys and for using and disclosing information for authorised purposes. Grape growers, winemakers and exporters could be asked to take part in surveys of the industry, and grape growers and winemakers would be most directly affected by the mandatory code of conduct for wine grape purchases that the bill underpins. The ABARES amendments would allow certain information held under the levies and charges collection framework to be disclosed to persons or bodies outside the Commonwealth.

Consumers and international trading partners would be affected indirectly through the survey and information activities the bill would enable, rather than through changes to labelling rules.

Evidence review

Progress through Parliament

The bill was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives on 1 July 2026, with the second reading moved the same day. Second reading debate ran on 11 and 12 August 2026, the second reading was agreed to on 12 August 2026, and the bill was reported from the Federation Chamber and read a third time on 13 August 2026. The Parliament of Australia lists the bill as having passed the House of Representatives on 13 August 2026 without amendment.

The bill was introduced in the Senate and read a first time on 17 August 2026, with the second reading moved the same day. The Senate dealt with the bill's remaining stages on 11 September 2026, when the second and third readings were completed and the bill moved to the 'as passed by both houses' stage, which presents the final text to the Governor-General for assent.

The bill must receive Royal Assent before it can become law. As at 12 September 2026, the Parliament of Australia and the Federal Register of Legislation do not record the bill as an enacted Act, so its provisions remain proposed changes only.

Evidence review

International and trade context

The Australian wine industry has faced significant trade disruptions in recent years, particularly the imposition of tariffs by China on Australian wine exports from 2021 until their removal in 2024. These disruptions have prompted renewed focus on export diversification and the importance of maintaining strong regulatory frameworks that meet international standards. The government says it has provided more than $90 million in funding to support the grape and wine sector since coming to office, and has pointed to global oversupply and declining consumption in several markets as reasons for reform.

Australia's wine regulatory system, including its Geographical Indications framework, is also subject to international agreements and trading partner expectations. Amendments to this framework need to balance domestic industry needs with Australia's international trade obligations under World Trade Organization rules and free trade agreements.

Evidence review

What happens next

The next stage for the bill is Royal Assent, which is granted by the Governor-General and formally turns the bill into an Act. This is expected to occur after the bill has passed both houses in identical form, which has now happened.

Industry bodies, including Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia, would typically engage with the bill during this period, and would then work with the government and the ACCC on the implementation of the mandatory code of conduct for wine grape purchases. The official summary on the Parliament bill page remains the authoritative description of what the bill would do.

Evidence review

Chamber record cross-check

House of Representatives Live Minutes No. 74 for Thursday 13 August 2026 record the bill's final stages in the House. The Deputy Speaker reported that the bill had been fully considered by the Federation Chamber and agreed to without amendment, presenting a certified copy of the bill. The bill was then agreed to, and on the motion of Ms Collins (Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), by leave, the bill was read a third time at 9:27 am.

The Live Minutes are a draft working record of proceedings as they occur and are subject to revision; they do not replace the later corrected Hansard or the Votes and Proceedings as the authoritative record.

The Parliament of Australia bill progress record for the bill shows the Senate introduced the bill and read it a first time on 17 August 2026, with the second reading moved the same day, and the Senate Hansard for the sitting of 11 September 2026 records the bill's second and third reading stages. The bill had not received Royal Assent as at 12 September 2026. Listing, debate, passage and assent are separate events, and readers should use the cited bill history to check each step.

Common questions

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