Change is brewing for the region's independent beer producers, following new plans to fix the industry's skills shortage in the face of soaring demand for craft beer.
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The NSW Treasury's Independent Brewers Action Plan received a mixed reaction from Tumut River Brewing cofounder Tim Martin, who was consulted by politicians in the lead up to the report.
Mr Martin said he was happy to see a concrete plan to expand the industry, but he said some of his biggest complaints remained unaddressed.
Chief among them were the taxes on craft beers, which are slapped with higher excises, lower rebates, and more red tape than similar-sized wineries.
"They're both made from our regions, both from local ingredients, both employ local people, so they should be treated in a similar fashion," Mr Martin said.
"Wineries seem to get much more opportunities in the market because they have a better relationship with the government."
However Mr Martin said he'd received a "good response" from the politicians he spoke to, which is why he remains optimistic that a fairer tax system would be on the cards.
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In the meantime Mr Martin said he welcomed the report's plans to get more jobs in the industry, especially in the face of independent breweries being bought up by larger companies.
The industry hires 3300 people, and the action plan's goal is to increase that number to 6000 people in five years through more training programs and grants to attract more young people down that career path.
"They're a small percentage of the market but hire 40 per cent of the workforce," Mr Martin said.
"They're huge employers in our region and I don't think they get enough credit."
The report contains tourism campaigns to funnel tourists into the regions as well as plans to expand the overseas market.
The report says there is a large untapped international market, and that if Australia plays its cards right it is well positioned to become the "Asia-Pacific centre of excellence" when it comes to craft beer.
Chairman of the Independent Brewers Association and founder of Wayward Brewing Company Peter Phillip said the industry was poised for growth.
"This plan provides real actionable steps to help the industry grow which will create jobs, many of which are in small towns all over NSW," Mr Phillip said.
Copies of the Independent Brewers Action Plan can be found on the NSW Government's website.