Wine Industry Code of Practice

The NHVR is seeking public feedback on the Wine Industry Code of Practice. Feedback should be provided to codes@nhvr.gov.au by 5pm Friday 29 November 2024.

Draft Wine Industry Code of Practice (PDF, 4.4MB)

This code of practice provides guidance for any person or business that operates and utilises heavy vehicles in the grape and wine industry, to safely manage known risks associated with their use on a road.

What is it?

The Wine Industry Code of Practice (Wine Code) is a practical guide that assists parties in the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) in the grape and wine industry to comply with their primary duty and other obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). It does this by identifying hazards and risks associated with the use of heavy vehicles in the grape and wine industry and proposes controls that can be implemented to eliminate or minimise risk.

Under the HVNL, it is not obligatory for a CoR party to implement the controls recommended in a registered code. So long as they are doing what is reasonably practicable to ensure safety, it doesn’t matter how they do it. However, if a party ignores hazards and risks that are identified in a registered code, or fails to implement sufficient controls, then a court can refer to a registered code as evidence of what the party is expected to know.

The Wine Code is relevant to any business in the wine industry that operates, uses or works with heavy vehicles, including grape growers, harvest operators, vineyard contractors, wineries, loaders, unloaders, depot managers and transporters.

Why we are consulting

Feedback direct from industry ensures that the code of practice is comprehensive, up to date, and useful to its target audience.

Background

The Wine Code has been developed by the South Australian Wine Industry Association Incorporated (SAWIA - the wine industry peak body in South Australia) in partnership with Australian Grape and Wine (AGW) and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. During development of the Wine Code, SAWIA consulted with state and regional wine associations as well as directly with wine industry stakeholders. Other stakeholders such as local government, transporters and industry suppliers also provided input.

How is it registered?

Consultation on the draft code is open for 28 days.

Following the consultation period, feedback on the draft code will be considered and the code assessed for registration by a panel comprising members with experience in a range of disciplines, including both NHVR staff and external experts.

If the panel determines that the code complies with the NHVR’s published guidelines, it may recommend that the code be registered.

Providing feedback

Feedback Form - Wine Industry Code of Practice (DOCX, 65KB)

Use this form to provide feedback on the Draft Wine Industry Code of Practice.