EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1986 No. 220
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry
DRIED FRUITS LEVY ACT 1971
DRIED FRUITS LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Dried Fruits Levy Act 1971 provides for the Governor-General to make regulations for the purpose of prescribing levy rates for dried fruits. The levy is paid into the Dried Fruits Research Trust Fund and is used to finance approved research and development activities in accordance with provisions of the Rural Industries Research Act 1985. The Commonwealth Government also contributes to dried fruits research financed from the Fund on a matching basis up to a specified limit.
The Dried Fruits Research Council, established under the Rural Industries Research Act 1985, develops a five year Research and Development Plan and an Annual Research and Development Program, considers and approves research funding applications and is the designated organisation for recommendation of research levy increases.
The present operative rates of levy for dried fruit are $1.50 per tonne for dried vine fruit, $7.50 per tonne for dried plums and $5.00 per tonne for dried tree fruits other than dried plums.
The Minister has accepted a recommendation from the Dried Fruits Research Council to increase the operative rates of levy and these Statutory Rules increase the rates of levy for dried vine fruits, dried plums and dried tree fruits other than dried plums to $2.50 per tonne, $10.00 per tonne and $7.00 per tonne respectively. The Australian Dried Fruits Association supports the respective increases.
Following the changes now proposed the operative rates of levy on fruit produced in and from the 1986 season will be as follows:-
| Dried Vine Fruits Dried Plums | $2.50 per tonne $10.00 per tonne |
| Dried Tree Fruits other than Dried Plums | $7.00 per tonne |