Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to speak on this legislation today, which amends the Excise Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff Act to support a pause on indexation of the excise of duty rates and customs duties on draught beer for two years. The amendments to the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 will take pressure off business when it comes to the price of beer poured in pubs, clubs and other venues and will support small businesses and regional tourism across the country. This is a measured, temporary pause that will help keep operating costs stable for small venues while maintaining the integrity of the broader alcohol excise framework.

The measure applies to containers between eight and 48 litres, which are commonly used in pubs and clubs, and containers over 48 litres used in larger hospitality venues. It doesn't apply to bottled or canned beer, spirits or other excisable beverages, which ensures that the policy remains tightly targeted to hospitality operators rather than retailers. Around 75 per cent of those venues are small, family-run businesses that employ local people and support community events, sporting clubs and local charities. This is a cost-of-living measure that will help take pressure off at a really critical time. Cost-of-living pressures have affected pubs, clubs and other licensed venues as they have for the rest of us. These amendments will reduce the pressure for businesses on the price of beer at pubs, clubs and other licensed venues. The venues, in turn, will support other businesses and regional tourism across the country.

This is a practical, targeted and responsible measure that supports small business. It helps to protect jobs and it keeps the price of a pint stable for everyday Australians. This decision recognises that local pubs, clubs and breweries are not just businesses but community institutions that bring people together. They provide employment and help regional communities remain strong. I visited a number of pubs and clubs around Eden-Monaro, and it is true of my community like it is true for many of the other speakers that have spoken on this debate that pubs, clubs and breweries are the lifeblood of small towns. Everyone can come together at the local pub or hotel and support the community that supports them right back.

I recently dropped into the Delegate Hotel to check out their fantastic renovations. The hotel is under new management and is looking fresh and welcoming, which is perfect for locals and visitors. I was also recently at the Bemboka Hotel, which had only just reopened in the small town of Bemboka—which is great news for that local community. Karen and Rowan at the Bemboka Hotel have done a magnificent job at bringing it back to life, and it now includes a cafe too. It's the people in regional towns like Delegate and Bemboka who will benefit from this pause in indexation. Our government is focused on what they can do to keep local venues open, to keep people in work and to keep communities connected.

Importantly, this measure provides breathing space to a sector that has faced successive economic challenges, including pandemic lockdowns, supply chain disruptions and rising input costs. COVID was tough for a lot of towns, but across Eden-Monaro our regional communities had already suffered through the Black Summer bushfires and floods before COVID hit us. These clubs and pubs were more than just places where people gathered. They became evacuation centres. They were evacuation centres that kept people and animals safe as a bushfire raged around them for more than six weeks. It's been a long road to recovery in Eden-Monaro, but this small measure makes sure that community clubs and pubs in our small communities stay open, stay active and stay there for community connection.

As I said, these clubs became evacuation centres, so I do want to give a shout-out to Club Narooma, Club Sapphire, the Bermagui Country Club, the Eden Fishermen's Club, Tathra Beach Country Club, Tura Beach Country Club and the many, many more up and down the east coast who acted as evacuation centres. Earlier this year, when I was in the Mid North Coast, following their dramatic floods, clubs were again opening their doors to be evacuation centres in our local communities.

Recovery, we know, is a long road, but the best thing we can do for people, particularly in regional Australia, is to make sure that tourism remains at the top of these communities and a way for people come together. Every summer in Eden-Monaro, we welcome many holidaymakers, particularly to our coastal towns. All across the Eden-Monaro, it's great to have more people coming into towns to stay in our pubs, to stay in our hotels and motels and our caravan parks, to eat in our restaurants, our cafes and our pubs, and, of course, this is great for local business. This measure reinforces the government's commitment to regional Australia, helping to protect tourism and local hospitality jobs.

While I'm at it, I want to mention how fantastic it is that we've now got a buyer for our regional airline Rex. Regional towns rely on strong regional airlines and aviation, and our government has been strident in our support for the regional aviation sector, because we know how important it is right across the country. Ensuring that there is access to our regions via air is vital to keeping our local economies going. This bill also supports Australian brewers, particularly small and independent producers who supply draught beer to local venues. Many of these brewers rely heavily on keg sales to maintain cash flow and jobs, and we've got some great local breweries in Eden-Monaro. There's Dalgety Brewing Co. and Jindabyne Brewing in the Snowy Mountains, Breakwall Brewing in Narooma, Longstocking Brewery in Pambula and the list goes on and on.

Pausing indexation will help local brewers manage costs too. It will help them plan production and continue investing in local communities and regional economies. But the benefits of this policy reach far beyond pubs and brewers. They flow through to farmers, transport operators, equipment suppliers and the thousands of small businesses linked to the hospitality supply chain. Businesses, particularly small businesses, really are the backbone of regional communities. It's a cost-of-living measure that also strengthens small-business resilience. When you're running a small business, every little bit helps, and this legislation is part of the government's targeted cost-of-living relief.

The Albanese government has listened to industry feedback from brewers, from publicans and from small-business groups, who have consistently called for relief from automatic excise increases during a period of high inflation, and this is a clear example of a responsible government acting, designed to make a difference without driving inflation or compromising fiscal discipline.

Alongside this measure, the Albanese government is delivering real, practical and ongoing help with the cost of living for Australians. We are delivering what we said we would at the election, including new measures that started on 1 July, including the national minimum wage and award wage increase by 3.5 per cent; the superannuation guarantee increase to 12 per cent; paid parental leave increase to 24 per cent; super now being paid on all government paid parental leave; another $150 in energy bill relief before the end of the year; $10,000 incentive payments for new housing apprentices; cheaper home batteries; cutting 20 per cent of student loan debts for three million Australians; and Commonwealth prac payments for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students. And hardworking aged-care nurses will receive the next instalment of their pay rise in October, following the first instalment in March this year. More meaningful, responsible cost-of-living relief will continue rolling out throughout the remainder of 2025. Tax cuts for every taxpayer kicked in last year, with two more tax cuts to come—next year and the year after. Another 50 Medicare urgent care clinics will open throughout the rest of the year, and, of course, we are now seeing bulk-billing expanding at GP clinics across the country.

This excise pause is an example of good, steady, responsible government in action. There will be targeted relief, real results and a fair go for Australian workers and small business owners alike. I'm proud to be part of a government that is delivering real cost-of-living relief to Australians, including those in my electorate, and I want to thank all those hospitality workers, small-business owners, pubs and clubs, and boards of directors who have spoken with me about what a difference this pause in excise will make for their businesses over the next two years.

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