EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1983 No. 287
Issued by the Authority of the Minister of State for Housing and Construction for and on behalf of the Minister for Primary Industry
APPLE AND PEAR LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Apple and Pear Levy Act 1976 (the Act) provides for the imposition of a levy on the production of certain apples and pears sold by a grower or produced and used by a grower in the production of fruit juice or other goods.
The Act also provides that levy is not payable in respect of fruit included in a prescribed class of fruit; and that the Governor-General before making any regulations to prescribe a class of fruit shall take into consideration any recommendations made to the Minister by the Australian Apple and Pear Growers’ Association.
The proposed class of fruit to be prescribed in the Regulation is fruit used in the production of distilled fruit products. This is in accordance with the Association’s recommendation to the Minister that this class of fruit be exempt from payment of levy until such time as the current legislation can be amended to permit the juicing rate of levy to apply.
Under the present classification in the Act apple and pear distillation products are classed as processing products, leviable at the higher processing rate, although the fruit used is of a lower quality than that used for processing and comparable to the inferior grade fruit used for juicing. The apple and pear industry considers that it is inappropriate for this fruit to be levied at the processing rate.
All income from the apple and pear levy, together with income from the apple and pear export charge, is used to fund the activities of the Australian Apple and Pear Corporation.
The Regulation is to take effect from 1 January 1984.