Agricultural Industry Services (Riverina Citrus) Regulation 2002 (NSW)

Her Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, has made the following Regulation under the Agricultural Industry Services Act 1998.

Minister for Agriculture

Part 1Preliminary1Name of Regulation

This Regulation is the Agricultural Industry Services (Riverina Citrus) Regulation 2002.

2Commencement

This Regulation commences on 18 March 2002.

3Definitions

In this Regulation:

citrus fruit means oranges (other than Seville oranges), grapefruit, lemons and mandarins.

Committee means the agricultural industry services committee established by this Regulation under the name Riverina Citrus.

Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) means the area constituted by the local government areas of Carrathool, Griffith, Leeton, Murrumbidgee and Narrandera.

Northern District means that part of the MIA constituted by the local government areas of Carrathool and Griffith.

Southern District means that part of the MIA constituted by the local government areas of Leeton, Murrumbidgee and Narrandera.

Part 2Establishment and functions of Committee4Establishment of Committee(1)

There is established by this Regulation, under section 5 (1) (b) of the Act, an agricultural industry services committee with the corporate name of Riverina Citrus.

(2)

The committee is a continuation of the committee established by the MIA Citrus Fruit Promotion Marketing Order 1998 made under the Marketing of Primary Products Act 1983.

5Class of primary producers for which Committee is constituted

The class of primary producers for which the Committee is constituted is growers of citrus fruit, other than those whose citrus fruit orchards have a total area of less than 2 hectares.

6Area of operations(1)

The area of operations for which the Committee is constituted is the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (the MIA).

(2)

The Committee’s area of operations comprises 2 electoral districts:

• (a)

  the Northern District, comprising the local government areas of Carrathool and Griffith, and

• (b)

  the Southern District, comprising the local government areas of Leeton, Murrumbidgee and Narrandera.

7Commodities for which Committee is constituted

The commodity for which the Committee is established is citrus fruit.

8Agricultural industry services of Committee

The agricultural industry services for which the Committee is established are as follows:

• (a)

  to contribute to the funding of fruit fly eradication programs in the MIA,

• (b)

  to facilitate, through research and technology transfer, the adoption of orchard management practices aimed at improving citrus fruit production within the MIA,

• (c)

  to obtain, analyse and disseminate information relevant to the citrus fruit industry, including the development of a forecasting service for citrus fruit production within the MIA,

• (d)

  to initiate, co-ordinate and contribute to promotional activities aimed at increasing the sale of citrus fruit grown in the MIA,

• (e)

  to facilitate the development of new and existing export markets for citrus fruit grown in the MIA,

• (f)

  to provide a point of access for communication between growers of citrus fruit in the MIA and:

  • (i)

    Commonwealth government departments and public authorities, and

  • (ii)

    State government departments and public authorities, and

  • (iii)

    the general public.

Part 3Other provisions relating to Committee9Membership of Committee(1)

The Committee is to consist of 9 members, of whom:

• (a)

  3 are to be elected by such of the Committee’s constituents as have the majority of their citrus fruit production in the Northern District, and

• (b)

  3 are to be elected by such of the Committee’s constituents as have the majority of their citrus fruit production in the Southern District, and

• (c)

  3 are to be appointed by the elected members of the Committee by notice in writing lodged with the Director-General.

(2)

As far as practicable, each of the members referred to in subclause (1) (c) is to be appointed on the basis of:

• (a)

  his or her expertise in one or more of the following fields, namely, marketing, management, finance, law or fruit processing, and

• (b)

  his or her awareness of community issues.

(3)

Each member of the Committee holds office for 3 years.

(4)

The quorum for a meeting of the Committee is 5 members, of whom a majority are elected members.

10Interim membership(1)

Pending the first election of its elected members, the Committee is to consist of the persons who, immediately before the commencement of this Regulation, were members of Riverina Citrus, as constituted under the Marketing of Primary Products Act 1983 immediately before that commencement.

(2)

Each member of the Committee as constituted in accordance with subclause (1) holds office until the date on which members are elected following the first election.

(3)

The quorum for a meeting of the Committee as constituted in accordance with subclause (1) is 4 of its members.

(4)

The first election is to be called by the Director-General, in accordance with the Agricultural Industry Services (Polls and Elections) Regulation 2000, within 6 months after the commencement of this Regulation.

11Voting entitlements of constituents

The voting entitlements of the Committee’s constituents for polls and elections is one vote per constituent.

12Quorum for meeting of constituents

The quorum for a meeting of the Committee’s constituents is 30 constituents.

13Financial year

The financial year of the Committee is the year ending on 30 April.