EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1982 No. 160
Issued by the Authority of the Minister of State for Home Affairs and Environment for and on behalf of the Minister of State for Primary Industry
DAIRYING INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND PROMOTION
LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Dairying Industry Research and Promotion Levy Act 1972, provides for levies to be imposed on all whole milk or butter fat produced in Australia.
Section 13 of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purpose of:
(a) prescribing a rate per 100 litres of whole milk for the purposes of paragraph 7(a); and
(b) prescribing a rate per 100 kilograms of butter fat for the purposes of paragraph 11(a).
Section 13 of the Act also requires the Governor-General to take into consideration any recommendation made by the Australian Dairy Research Committee to the Minister for Primary Industry and regulations shall not be made prescribing such a rate higher than the rate recommended, or last recommended, by the Committee to the Minister.
The purpose of the levies to to provide finance for the on-going research programme of the Australian Dairy Research Committee.
A reduction in the total production of milk in Australia together with an increase in the size of the research programme and in costs has made an increase in the levy rates necessary.
In accordance with section 13 of the Dairying Industry Research and Promotion Levy Act 1972, the Australian Dairy Research Committee has recommended to the Minister for Primary Industry an increase in the rates of levy to apply under paragraphs 7(a) and 11(a). The Australian Dairy Research Committee, although not required by the legislation, has consulted with the Australian Dairy Farmers’ Federation on this matter.
The purpose of the proposed regulation is to apply, from 1 July 1982, the following rates of levy:
1 cent per 100 litres of whole milk
25 cents per 100 kilograms of butter fat.
The Act, as amended by the Dairying Industry Research and Promotion Levy Amendment Act 1980 (Assented to 17 December 1980), prescribes maximum rates of 1.2 cents per 100 litres of whole milk and 30 cents per 100 kilograms of butter fat. Currently the operative rates are 0.8 cent and 20 cents respectively.