Cattle Transaction Levy Regulations

Cattle Transaction Levy Regulations 1991 No. 50

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT STATUTORY RULES 1991 No. 50

Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy. Subject              Cattle Transaction Levy Act 1990

Cattle Transaction Levy Regulations

The Cattle Transaction Levy Act 1990 (the Act) imposes levies on the sale of cattle and bobby calves or their delivery to a processor other than by reason of sale to the processor. The levy consists of four components, which raise funds for the following purposes:

(a)              financing of the Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation (AMLC)

(b)              financing of the Australian Meat and Live-stock Research and Development Corporation (AMLRDC)

(c)              financing of the National Residue Survey (NRS)

(d)              bovine disease eradication.

These regulations will implement a recommendation by the AMLRDC to increase the levy component that raises funds to finance its activities. As required by the Act, the recommendation was endorsed at the Annual General Meeting of the AMLRDC on 29 November 1990. The rate increases will commence on 1 May 1991.

The Act commenced on 1 February 1991 and, in combination with the Beef Production Levy Act 1990 and the Cattle Export Charge Act 1990, replaced levies imposed on cattle, calves and bobby calves under the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964 and the Live-stock Export Charge Act 1977. The motion put to the annual general meeting by the AMLRDC recommended increases in the operative rates for the Live-stock Slaughter Levy and the Livestock Export Charge, but that In the event of the new arrangements being introduced before the new rates became operative, the recommendations concerning cattle, calves and bobby calves were to be read as recommending increases in the new levies and charge to raise the same amount of revenue as would be raised under the old arrangements. The new rates for the levy have been calculated on this basis.

The present and proposed operative rates and the prescribed maximum rates of levy are as follows:

Present rates

Proposed rate

Prescribed maximum rates

The funds generated by the rate increases will allow for the continuation and expansion of the Corporation's current marketing, development and promotional initiatives in line with its 5 year Corporate Plan.

The AMLC, NRS and bovine disease eradication components of the levy remain unchanged by these Regulations.