Wineries in the Canberra region say they are facing a triple whammy of threats. They fear polluted air could taint crops just as vineyards are recovering from a barrage of bad events like hail, drought and bushfire smoke.
The three threats they say they fear are:
- A proposed waste-disposal plant/power station near Lake George
- Some farmers and gardeners are careless about herbicide spray which drifts over vines.
- Burning stubble can contaminate grapes
On the first, the French global company Veolia wants to build a plant to burn waste and generate electricity 50 kilometres from Canberra, to the east of Lake George.
Veolia says that its Advanced Energy Recovery Centre would be able to process 380,000 tonnes of waste and generate enough electricity to power 40,000 homes in the process.
But both the main wine associations (the Viticultural Society of the Canberra District and the Canberra District Wine Industry Association) have opposed the $600 million development, according to Jennifer Fischer, president of the society, and a grower of grapes for wineries in the region.
She said that even if the plant's emissions were safe for humans, they could still damage grapes - and so damage one of the region's most successful industries.
"If the plume comes across our area, it might be a safe percentage of chemicals for humans but it's a thousand times worse for grapes," she said.
The two wine industry groups asked the country's leading industry research organisation to assess the implications of the new plant.
The Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide concluded "that the major risk associated with the proposed Advanced Energy Recovery Centre (ARC) is the potential for contamination of grapes and subsequent tainting of wine".
The Research Institute's senior oenologist (grape and wine scientist) Adrian Coulter concluded: "Given the risks described above, it is considered not advisable to build the ARC at the site proposed by Veolia and it is therefore suggested that an alternative site be sought."
Veolia says that independent experts, including in the NSW Department of Primary Industries, have said the plant would not harm people's health or contaminate crops and land.
"We understand that people may be unfamiliar with the technology, so we have proven through independent expert impact assessment studies that there will be no impact to people's health, the environment or farms, including organic farming status," a spokesperson said.
And the company adds that global warming increases the need for the facility. No final decision on planning has been made by the NSW government.
The second threat the wineries fear comes from the careless spraying of herbicides.
One organic winery has already had a quarter of its crop tainted. Either grapes have been damaged or the growth of the vines stunted.
It's led to wineries making an appeal to users of chemicals to think about when and where they do so.
"If you are planning to use one of these herbicides then please consider your responsibilities and ensure that all possible means are taken to minimise spray drift," Dave Carpenter, owner of Lark Hill Vineyard at Bungendore, said.
His son Chris, the winery's winemaker, said that the industry was recovering from the "horrific fire season" of 2020 when smoke tainted swathes of crop. "It opened our eyes to the impact of our local environment.
"It's easy to think we live in a pristine rural environment but this kind of thing illustrates how we are vulnerable to factors outside our control."
He said wineries were the canary in the coal mine - the small sign of something big and bad happening. "If there is spray drift in vines, it's likely also in someone's garden."
It's hard to identify where herbicides come from because they can be blown several kilometres, but he and other wineries are trying to persuade other land-users to be more considerate.
"For the sake of neighbouring vineyards, as well as the health of our local communities, consider using alternative herbicides or even a non-chemical solution," the elder Mr Carpenter said.
On top of herbicides, the wineries are worried about stubble burns.
The younger Mr Carpenter said he was working with the Rural Fire Service and local farmers to increase awareness of the problem for smoke for a vibrant industry in their region.
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