Our recent Vineyard Owner Survey asked participants what they liked most and least about Vinehealth Australia. We asked these questions to gauge what you truly value about the role we perform and the services that we offer – and to understand the areas where we need to improve for you.

42% of respondents provided commentary in terms of what they like most about Vinehealth, the top three themes that emerged were:

  • Our communications and awareness tools, including our online resources;
  • Our singular focus on all aspects of biosecurity to protect South Australian vineyards, and our responsiveness to industry issues; and
  • Our position as an independent and active body, with a can-do attitude and a strong focus on customer service.

We also received significant positive comments about our role as a knowledgeable, credible, relevant and stable presence in the South Australian wine industry, and our role as an ‘independent watchdog’ on biosecurity.

Survey participants also highlighted our work in the following areas:

  • Our sharp eye on South Australian biosecurity standards and status
  • Our strategic mindset
  • Our awareness of industry risk factors and activities to minimise those risks
  • Our cost effectiveness
  • Our drive to improve biosecurity technology in South Australia
  • Our facilitation of continuous improvement in biosecurity for growers
  • Our fruit fly response

A small number of respondents provided some insights in terms of what they like least about Vinehealth Australia, with the following key themes:

  • Levy: Having to pay a levy (and in some cases for dead vines) and paperwork involved.
  • Communication: Some Vineyard Owners would like more communication from Vinehealth, some would like less, and some would like biosecurity information communicated in more simple terms.
  • Operations: Lack of policing what Vinehealth recommends as best practice, prioritisation of pests on which to focus (phylloxera vs scale vs viruses etc.), more resources/tools for small growers.
  • Strategy: Some Vineyard Owners called for more recognition and support of Vinehealth Australia’s role and activities by other industry bodies, and some called for more national work that will benefit South Australia.

We’ll continue to analyse the feedback from the 2021 Vineyard Owner Survey and report on the results in due course.