Vinehealth Australia’s new trainer, Hayley Conolly, hit the road this month, continuing the rollout of the Wine Tourism Biosecurity Program in South Australian wine regions.
Training started in Coonawarra this week, then Hayley will cover the Barossa in November and McLaren Vale in December. Clare, the Adelaide Hills, Langhorne Creek and the Riverland will be covered in early 2019.
Hayley is working with regional associations to ensure the free training sessions are promoted widely, to ensure maximum attendance by cellar door and tourism staff. In the one-hour sessions, participants will learn about:
- The key biosecurity risks for cellar doors.
- The language that cellar door and tourism staff can use when speaking to tourists about biosecurity.
- The simple biosecurity initiatives that cellar doors can implement to reduce risks.
- The tools Vinehealth Australia offers to support cellar doors.
Vinehealth Australia CEO Inca Pearce and Communications Advisor Cindie Smart are also visiting each of the regions, meeting with grape and wine associations, councils, regional development groups, tourism groups and other key organisations to discuss biosecurity needs and priorities.
“Beyond wine tourism risks to vine health, there are many other focus areas that we are working on with regions. For example, local uptake of farm-gate hygiene practices and regional signage,” said Inca.
“Maintaining South Australia’s phylloxera free status will help to ensure a sustainable future for our growers and winemakers. We’re attacking biosecurity from every angle, and we need the support of each member of the wine supply chain for this work to be effective.”
To book a free training session with Hayley, email admin@vinehealth.com.au