The Craft Beer Industry Association (CBIA) has announced a restructure of its full brewer membership categories for the 2013/14 period.
“The CBIA Board has received a lot of feedback from the craft beer industry over the last 12 months regarding the various categories for membership," said CBIA Chair Brad Rogers.
"As a result of listening to our members and potential members, we are very pleased to announce these changes."
The changes have been made with a view to achieving three goals.
Firstly, they will make it more affordable for the nation’s smallest brewers to join the CBIA.
Secondly, they will lessen the financial cost for those breweries making the jump from the Microbrewer category to the Regional Category and from the Regional category to the National category.
Finally, they recognise the changes created by Lion Co’s takeover of Little World Beverages to form the nation’s largest craft entity.
The changes will not result in a fee increase for any CBIA members.
"Many small breweries have told us that they want to join but just don’t have the room in their budgets for $500. We hope that by halving the membership fee we will make it easier for them to be involved," said Rogers.
“The industry also has a number of breweries that are ready to make that jump up to the next output level. These guys are investing heavily in their businesses to accommodate this production increase and having such steep increases to their membership fees was a lot to ask.“
“We have also had to adjust the upper limit of our membership structure due to the Lion takeover of Little World Beverages. Our Constitution prohibits one entity from having two votes so Malt Shovel and Little Creatures will now be represented under the one membership. The national category will still have three members though with Burleigh Brewing Co recently joining the CBIA," said Rogers.
The changes to the membership categories are effective immediately.
Contract brewer membership categories remained tied to the corresponding production levels listed below.
The Craft Beer Industry Association’s membership year runs in line with the financial year. Any brewery wishing to join before the end of June will only pay for the 2013/14 period.
The revised membership category structure is:
Nano 0 – 49 999 litres p.a. – $250
Microbrewer (Band 1) 50 000 – 99 999 litres p.a. – $500
Microbrewer (Band 2) 100 000 – 299 999 litres p.a. – $1000
Regional Craft Brewer (Band 1) 300 000 – 699 999 litres p.a. – $3000
Regional Craft Brewer (Band 2) 700 000 – 999 999 litres p.a. – $5000
National Craft Brewer (Band 1) 1 million – 2.5 million litres p.a. – $7000
National Craft Brewer (Band 2) 2.5 million – 10 million litres p.a. – $10 000
National Craft Brewer (Band 3) 10 million – 20 million litres p.a. – $20 000
National Craft Brewer (Band 4) 20 million – 40 million litres p.a. – $30 000