Natural Resource Management

Staying up to date with research is an important part of managing natural resources and responding to changing environmental and production conditions. Wine Australia’s research platform brings together current and past research across viticulture, winemaking and sustainability, helping producers understand emerging risks, trial new approaches and make more informed decisions.

Training ensures staff can manage natural resources responsibly and meet regulatory requirements, including chemical handling, spray application, equipment use and record keeping. Well-trained staff apply products safely and efficiently, reducing risk to people and the environment while supporting consistent, compliant practices across operations.

For grapegrowers and winemakers, responsible chemical use protects people, the environment and wine quality. It supports compliance with Victorian regulations, reduces the risk of spray drift and residues, and helps maintain access to domestic and export markets. It also underpins good record keeping, providing traceability and confidence if issues arise.

Wine Australia has developed a guide which is designed to assist small to medium sized grape and wine businesses to effectively communicate their sustainability performance. It provides a structured approach to sustainability reporting, helping businesses meet regulatory requirements, respond to retailer requests for information and enhance business transparency.

The Strategy Planning Template featured in the Wine Australia guide above is available for you to download and use.

There is a range of tools available to track sustainability performance. Members of the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program capture metrics like water, energy, and chemical usage. Use this data to benchmark against peers and track efficiency improvements, demonstrate credibility, and meet market sustainability standards.