Act & Regulations

The Corporation's objects, functions and powers are set out in the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Act, 1980 and its associated Regulations. The Act gives the Corporation the power to do all things necessary to be done in connection with the performance of its functions.

The full AWBC Act and Regulations, and separate Regulations covering the Annual General Meeting of the Industry, can be found on the Australian Government web site.

Objects of the AWBC Act

The Corporation must perform its functions and exercise its powers only for the purpose of achieving the objects specified in the Act. These are:

To promote and control the export of grape products from Australia;

To promote and control the sale and distribution, after export, of Australian grape products;

To promote trade and commerce in grape products among the States, between States and Territories and within the Territories;

To improve the production of grape products, and encourage the consumption of grape products, in the Territories;

To enable Australia to fulfil its obligations under prescribed wine-trading agreements;

For the purpose of achieving any of the objects set out in the preceding paragraphs:

to determine the boundaries of the various regions and localities in Australia in which wine is produced;
to give identifying names to those regions and localities;
to determine the varieties of grapes that may be used in the manufacture of wine in Australia.

To advance the objects of the Act by helping to ensure the truth, and the reputation for truthfulness, of statements made on wine labels, or made for commercial purposes in other ways, about the vintage, variety or geographical indication of wine manufactured in Australia.

To regulate the sale, export and import of wine:

for the purpose of enabling Australia to fulfil its obligations under prescribed wine-trading agreements;
for certain other purposes for which the Parliament has power to make laws.