So, you’ve decided to exit the industry and remove your vines in South Australia – or reduce your vineyard area to below 0.5 hectares. What is the process? Good question.
In May 2024, Vinehealth Australia released the article, ‘vine removal and biosecurity’, to outline the requirements for effective vine removal. Vines must be physically removed from the ground, rather than just leaving stumps or scraping the land clear with bulldozers. Roots can remain in the soil allowing vines to reshoot and reestablish and remain a biosecurity risk.
Vinehealth Australia is required under the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Act (1995) to maintain a Register of all vineyards in South Australia greater than 0.5 hectares of planted vines. For this Register, any vine planted, regardless of whether it is dead or alive or in production or not, must be included on the Register.
In line with the Act, growers are required to advise Vinehealth Australia of any planting change, increase or decrease, within three months of it occurring (Clause 21). If this planting change has occurred, please contact Jo Bainbridge, Vinehealth Australia Systems Manager, at admin@vinehealth.com.au or call 08 8273 0550 between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm from Monday to Thursday.
You must advise Vinehealth Australia that you have or are about to remove all your vines. A Grower Exit letter will be sent along with a return letter template declaring the vines are removed. The declaration must include the date of the last vine removed. False or misleading statements can, under the Act, lead to serious penalties (Part 5 section 29 False or misleading statements). You must not sign and return the form if vines are still in the ground.
Vinehealth Australia will then calculate a pro-rata rate of both the fixed and variable levy components based on the date of the last vine removed and send the invoice for payment. Growers should be aware that Vinehealth Australia is unable to reimburse growers for vines removed in past levy periods.
Once payment has been received, the vineyard will be taken off the Register. The grower may not own and operate other vineyards, and all vineyards relating to the declaration returned will be removed from the Register. Where a Grower owns multiple vineyards and only one vineyard is being removed, this is known as a Vineyard Exit and will be managed differently. In this case, the Grower remains in the Register.
It should be noted that Vinehealth will refer to aerial imagery, and visual inspections to confirm the removal. If as part of either the aerial imagery inspection and/or drive-by visual inspection vines are determined to remain on-site, the vineyard will be returned to active status in the Register and levies will continue.
Vinehealth Australia cannot assist in the removal process or recommend contractors who can. It is advised you contact your local regional association for recommendations.
Removing unwanted vines from the ground is a proactive and responsible way to reduce biosecurity risks to the South Australian grape and wine industry.
Please contact Vinehealth Australia on 08 8273 0550 if you have any questions or concerns.