EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1989 NO. 289
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy.
DRIED FRUITS LEVY ACT 1971
DRIED FRUITS LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Section 5 of the Dried Fruits Levy Act 1971 (the Act) imposes a levy on dried fruits of a season received for packing.
Section 6 of the Act provides that
(1) The rate of the levy shall not exceed
(a) in the case of dried vine fruits - $5.00 per tonne; or
(b) in the case of dried tree fruits - $30.00 per tonne.
(2) Subject to the last preceding subsection, the regulations may fix an amount per tonne as the rate of the levy in respect of a specified kind of dried fruits.
(3) Before making any regulations for the purposes of the last preceding subsection, the Governor-General shall take into consideration any relevant recommendation with respect to a rate of levy made to the Minister by the Dried Fruits Research Council (the Council).
Section 8 of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of section 6 of the Act.
The Council has recommended to the Minister that the levy rates for the 1989 season for dried vine fruits be increased to $4.50 per tonne, for dried tree fruits other than dried plums to $10.25 per tonne and for dried plums to $11.00 per tonne.
This is the first of a rolling program of annual increases to the industry’s operative levy rates intended to raise the industry’s contributions to research to a level of 0.5 per cent of its gross value of production (GVP) by 1992.
The Commonwealth Government matches contributions by industry for research expenditure recommended by the Council and approved by the Minister up to a maximum of 0.5 per cent of the industry’s GVP in any one financial year. Estimated Commonwealth expenditure for 1989-90 is $285,700. Funding to meet the estimated Commonwealth matching obligations in 1989-90 resulting from the proposed levy increases has been approved in the 1989-90 Budget.
The Australian Dried Fruits Association, the organisation representing dried fruits producers, has been consulted and supports the recommended levy rates.
The Minister for Primary Industries and Energy has accepted the Council’s recommendations as to increases in the levies and this statutory regulation accordingly sets the rate of levy for 1989 at $4.50, $10.25 and $11.00 for dried vine fruits, dried tree fruits (except plums) and dried plums respectively.