Billy Lark back in 2015, mentioned that timber (for barrels) was the Achilles Heel of the whisky industry in the world. Less fortifieds are being consumed. White Oak supply is under stress. Barrel prices have increased 150% since the beginning of COVID. Freight costs have risen 200 +%. Costs associated with the need for and enforcement of, WHS and Fire safety compliance requirements, adds another layer of cost. Annual excise incremental increase are also causing the industry grief. In Australia, what can we do? The recent iteration of the whisky industry in Australia is only 33 years of age. Our environmental conditions are unique. We have had to learn a great deal in a short period of time and there is much more to learn. Combine our unique conditions with an ever restricting supply of quality timber, continuous prices rises, lack of discretionary spend and disposable income, climate and geopolitical uncertainty, what do we do in order to maintain high quality whisky production and sales.? The industry must become “sustainable”. At the moment it is not. “Adapt or go the way of the Dodo, Woolly Mammoth or Thylacine.”