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This consultation closed on Friday 29 November 2024. The NHVR would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback.
Background
The Wine Industry Code of Practice (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.
The 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 consulted
Feedback direct from industry ensures that the code of practice is comprehensive, up to date, and useful to its target audience.
Outcome
The Wine Industry Code of Practice was endorsed by the NHVR for registration on 20 December 2024 and became a Registered Industry Code of Practice.