National alcohol strategy delayed after backlash from pubs, clubs and beer and wine makers

A PLAN that would see a slab of Victoria Bitter rise above $50 has been put on ice, after a backlash from producers and pub owners to the proposed legislation.

NEW national battle plan to tackle alcohol-related harm has been put on ice as governments walk away from a radical push to hike up taxes on cheap beer and wine.

The federal-state national alcohol strategy, which also pushes tough new advertising restrictions and a crackdown on booze discounts in bottle shops, was due to be locked in last month.

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But the Herald Sun understands it will be delayed until at least June after a backlash from beer and wine makers, pubs and bars over the draft strategy’s controversial plan for a price floor on all alcohol.

The proposed minimum price, expected to be $1.50 per standard drink, would push the cost of a slab of Victoria Bitter above $50 and see a $10 four-litre cask of Golden Oak dry white wine soar to at least $45.

Health Minister Greg Hunt, who chairs the ministerial drug and alcohol forum, has ruled out the federal government introducing a floor price.

He wrote to his ministerial colleagues recently to push out the deadline on the strategy after the draft plan received almost 100 submissions.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has ruled out the federal government introducing a floor price. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP

It is understood leading industry figures were furious with its recommendations, along with its blunt conclusion that “Australia does not support any ongoing role for industry in setting or developing national alcohol policy”.

One industry source said the draft plan was “a lazy, typical bureaucrat document” that was flawed because it relied on broad regulatory measures and ignored cultural factors which caused problems with alcohol.

“What applies in inner St Kilda doesn’t apply in an isolated ethnic community in western Sydney or in the northern regions of Western Australia,” the source said.

“It doesn’t account for the knock-on affects on employment ... and the positive aspects around small bars, cafe culture, our status as a major wine exporter, the award-winning restaurants that sell the best wine.”

A spokesman for Mr Hunt said: “The draft national alcohol strategy does not propose or recommend any particular course of action, but rather provides a national framework and identifies possible opportunities for action or consideration by all governments.”

One in four Australians drink at risky levels and alcohol is linked to 5500 deaths every year, as well as a quarter of all frontline police work.

But industry figures argue existing harm reduction policies have reduced daily drinking, the age at which youths first drink, and the number of people who are binge drinking.

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