Whisky Licence DISTILLERY IN DUNEDIN

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 1

Whisky Licence DISTILLERY IN DUNEDIN

(Trom Out Own Reporter!

WELLINGTON, October 2.

The Wilson Malt Extract Company, of Dunedin, has been granted a licence to distil whisky. The distillery will probably be set up in Dunedin.

“No protection trill be given to the industry by way of import licence,” said the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton) tonight.

“If the licensee agrees to proceed with the proposal put forward, imports of whisky will, subject, of course, to the general funds position, be continued without reduction of import licences.”

Another condition requires that the whisky be not delivered from the control of the Customs until it has been matured by storage in wood for not less than five years. This is the maturation period required by law for imported whisky, brandy and rum.

The third condition is that the rate of excise duty will, for a period of five years from the date of marketing, and subject to review at any time if import duties on whisky are varied, be fixed at £4 10s a proof gallon. The reduced rate is in line with that at present applied to New Zealand-made gin, Geneve, Schnapps and Vodka, and represents a reduction of 30s a proof gallon when compared with the duty on imported whisky. “Apart from other conditions normally applying to distillation licences one other important one is that the licence will be liable to cancellation if effective ownership and control of the licensee company is not retained

within New Zeaalnd,” said Mr Shelton. He said the industry would make use of readily-available supplies of locally-grown barley and that, except for the oak casks necessary for storing the whisky, all the plant and equipment can be fabricated or obtained in New Zealand.

Mr Shelton said the company had not been conceded monopoly rights for whisky distillation, and would not be granted licences for blending purposes.