For beer in 2023, we saw the launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Beer Group, which brings together Federal MPs of all parties to support Australia’s fantastic brewing sector. The Group was launched at an event at Parliament House in Canberra early in the year, which provided a fantastic opportunity for brewers large and small to meet with Federal MPs and Ministers and discuss the challenges for our sector.
Going into 2024, we will continue to build on this success and work with MPs to show how critical the brewing sector is for Australia and particularly for our farmers who provide the barley and hops, which make our beer so special.
Two more significant beer tax increases in 2023 and another on the way in early February 2024 mean that the high rate of beer tax in Australia continues to be an issue for everyone involved in brewing.
The Brewers Association has done a lot of work over the past two or three years to ensure that everyone understands how high the tax is, particularly compared to other beer producing countries, and the impact this has on brewers and beer drinkers.
Consumers continue to embrace mid-strength beer and zero strength beer is growing rapidly. Low carbohydrate beers are also now an established sub-category within beer with consumers increasingly looking for more choice in terms of product content.
Linked to this is the work the Brewers Association has done with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand to ensure that the reviews they have underway into labelling of energy content and statements relating to sugar and carbohydrate content mean that beer drinkers get the information they want on the label. This will continue to be a priority for the Brewers Association and the alcohol industry more broadly into 2024.
We have a fantastic brewing industry here in Australia and we play a critical role in supporting suppliers, particularly in the agricultural sector, across the country. We are looking forward to another year of working with our supply chain to highlight our sector and keep delivering for our consumers.
This article was written by John Preston, CEO, Brewers Association of Australia and originally appeared in the 2024 Leaders Forum issue of National Liquor News.
