On top of all the usual taxes any small business pays, Australian craft breweries have to fork out 25% of their sales income straight to the taxation office in the form of excise.

By comparison, small Australian wineries can sell up to $1.7m of wine per year without paying WET. Like wineries, most microbreweries are regional family-owned businesses. By increasing the excise refund for microbreweries to levels closer to that of the wineries, more microbreweries can afford to produce even better beer by employing expert brewers, purchasing better equipment, and accessing better distribution channels.

If you live in Australia, I encourage you to visit one of the petition sites listed and sign this petition before the end of January. As a beer lover and homebrewer, I'd love to see more unique beers on the market here (or, alternatively, have them easier to access - it'd be great to have more micros available in pubs & clubs).