Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) | Hansard source

I hear 'hear, hear' from the member for Hunter. But a sensible balance has to be reached. There has to be. And we as legislators can't just keep banging Australians on the head and forcing more regulation on them. We as legislators also need to be reminded often of the role that has been played, is being played and will continue to be played by those people who don't wear suits, who work the land, who roll their sleeves up, who don't mind getting dirt under their fingernails, who actually grow our food to help this nation and many others. If they choose to grow grapes, almonds, fruit, vegetables, whatever the case might be—whether it's west of Narrandera or whether it's in some of the grape growing areas and wine producing areas in the Riverina electorate I now represent including: Tumbarumba; Hilltops, which is centred on Young; Gundagai; and Cowra as well as Murrumbateman and the Yass Valley—then we should be applauding them and doing everything we can to help those people.

There's nothing wrong with people having a tipple. There's nothing wrong with people getting in the car and driving out of the nation's capital, going to one of those little cellar door wineries, having a taste on the weekend and having a good time, maybe even having a bet at the Yass Picnic Races if they want to. It's totally unhealthy, but if they choose to have a smoke, well, so be it. They should be able to without the teal's telling us, 'Oh no'. Smack on the wrist. 'You can't do that.' You can't do that? Goodness gracious. What's Australia coming to?

Tumbarumba has around 300 hectares under vine, about 20 family owned vineyards and an annual crush of roughly 3,000 tonnes. Tumbarumba is known for its world-class, internationally acclaimed chardonnay and pinot noir. The Gundagai and Hilltops areas produce shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and it's good, and we applaud them. Murrumbateman and the Yass Valley have a number of globally recognised brands and local hidden gems. Shiraz, riesling and cab sav are the main varieties, with proud brands of Clonakilla—who wouldn't like a glass of that right now?—Helm and Eden Road located in the Riverina boundaries that I now proudly represent. Wagga Wagga—of course, my hometown—is also home to the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre at Charles Sturt University. Plus, CSU has its own commercial winery and offers a wine science degree.

But, as I said at the outset, high water prices and the lack of availability of water are huge problems for the wine sector. They are. These are permanent plantings that need a secure and stable water supply. Can we have confidence, member for Nicholls, in the Labor government providing that? I think not.

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