BRL Hardy, which through its Banrock Station brand has trumpeted itself as a champion of all things environmental, finds itself in muddy water over environmental issues. Just a short time after opening the controversial Barossa Valley Estates winery in the environmentally sensitive Maranaga district, it faces a potential penalty of A$840,000 for allegedly polluting a tributary of the River Murray with winery effluent between February 2000 and June 2001. If the allegations prove correct, one wonders whether or not the monies raised through the sales of the Banrock Station wines for landcare projects in wetlands will be redirected towards its own backyard. Along with Southcorp, Fosters and Orlando Wyndham, BRL Hardy is one of the four key signatories to a new environmental strategy launched by the South Australian wine industry which is likely to be adopted by other states.
