EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1985 No. 305
Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations (Amendment)
Issued by the Authority of the Minister of State for Industry, Technology and Commerce
Regulation 4K of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations (‘the Regulations’) prohibits the importation into Australia of woolpacks and woolpack caps without the approval of the Minister for Primary Industry.
Sub-regulations 4K(3) and (4) provide exemptions from the prohibition if certificates issued by prescribed testing authorities are produced to a Collector. The certificates for the purposes of sub-regulations 4K(3) and (4) are to state that the woolpacks and woolpack caps conform with the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC) Standards specified in regulation 4K to the Regulations.
During the past year the AWC has received a succession of complaints against defective woolpacks. Its investigations have shown that the problems relate mainly to manufacturing defects occurring intermittently through production batches.
As a result the AWC standards in relation to woolpacks and caps have been amended to provide new sampling and test methods designed to minimise the incidence of faulty packs. The opportunity was also taken to modify the standard in relation to multifilament nylon woolpacks and caps to provide a standard which deals with packs that will be satisfactory on a one use only basis.
The AWC published revised standards for woolpacks and caps on 24 May 1985.
The purpose of the proposed Statutory Rules is to amend regulation 4K of the Regulations to provide for the revised standards. Prescribed testing authorities will then be required to issue certificates that are produced to a Collector of Customs which state that the woolpacks or woolpack caps as proposed to be imported conform with the revised standards published by the AWC on 24 May 1985.