Australian Meat and Live-Stock Corporation Regulations (Amendment)

Overview

The Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Regulations (Amendment) 1993 No. 93 were enacted by the Governor-General under the authority granted by the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Act 1977, among other related Acts. This legislation was introduced to address the need for updated regulations to establish the operative Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness Consultative Council (EXANDIS) levy rates for the financial year 1993-94, as recommended by EXANDIS members nominated by the National Farmers' Federation (NFF). The policy objective of these regulations is to ensure the financial preparedness for the control and eradication of exotic animal diseases, as outlined in the Exotic Animal Disease Control Act 1989. The proposed rates for each levy, as recommended by EXANDIS and specified in the relevant Acts, aim to maintain a balanced and effective contribution mechanism to the EXANDIS trust account.

Scope and Application

The Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Regulations (Amendment) 1993 No. 93 applies to the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation, the Australian Wool Corporation, and the entities subject to levies under the Dairy Produce Levy (No. 1) Act 1986, the Laying Chicken Levy Act 1988, the Meat Chicken Levy Act 1969, and the Pig Slaughter Levy Act 1971. These entities and the individuals involved in their operations within Australia are subject to the regulations aimed at managing exotic disease control. The amendments, which are issued by the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy under the authority of the relevant Acts, establish the rates for the Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness Consultative Council (EXANDIS) levies for the financial year 1993-94. These rates are based on recommendations made by the National Farmers' Federation and are designed to ensure adequate funding for the control and eradication of exotic animal diseases. The regulations, which include direct payments for cattle and wool and levies for milk, laying chickens, meat chickens, and pigs, are intended to commence on 1 July 1993, with the proposed rates outlined in the attached table.

Key Provisions

The Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Regulations (Amendment) 1993 No. 93 primarily addresses the regulation of levies and payments for exotic disease purposes under various Acts, including the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Act 1977 (s 52), Australian Wool Corporation Act 1991 (s 94), Dairy Produce Levy (No. 1) Act 1986 (s 14), Laying Chicken Levy Act 1988 (s 9), Meat Chicken Levy Act 1969 (s 11), and Pig Slaughter Levy Act 1971 (s 8). These provisions allow for the implementation of specific levies or payments to fund the Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness Consultative Council (EXANDIS), established under the Exotic Animal Disease Control Act 1989. The regulations prescribe the rates for these levies and payments, based on recommendations from EXANDIS and approved by the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy. The regulations impose obligations on relevant industry bodies to make payments or collect levies as specified in the Acts. For example, the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation is required to pay a specific amount for cattle/calves under the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Act 1977 (s 34A(1)), while the Australian Wool Corporation must pay a specific amount for wool under the Australian Wool Corporation Act 1991 (s 26(1)). Similarly, levies are to be collected by the relevant authorities from producers under the Dairy Produce Levy (No. 1) Act 1986 (s 7(4A)), Laying Chicken Levy Act 1988 (s 7(b)), Meat Chicken Levy Act 1969 (s 7(1)(b)), and Pig Slaughter Levy Act 1971 (s 6(1)(c)). Failure to comply with the prescribed rates or to remit the required levies or payments could result in legal consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the explanatory statement, breaches of statutory requirements under these Acts could lead to civil or criminal penalties. For instance, non-compliance with the levies might attract fines or other penalties as stipulated in the respective Acts, reflecting the importance of these contributions to the funding of EXANDIS and the control of exotic animal diseases.