Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1966

Legislation au C1966A00074 Not in force Act

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Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization

No. 74 of 1966

An Act to amend the Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1964.

[Assented to 29 October 1966]

BE it enacted by the Queens Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1966.

(2.) The Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1964 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 19641966.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Definitions.

3. Section 3 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting after the definition of the average return the following definition:—

“‘the Company means The Dried Fruits Stabilization Committee Limited incorporated under the law of the State of Victoria relating to companies;.


Ascertainment of average return.

4.—(1.) Section 7 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words The amount and inserting in their stead the words Subject to the next succeeding sub-section, the amount;

(b) by omitting from paragraph (a) of that sub-section the words total proceeds of and inserting in their stead the words net proceeds received from;

(c) by inserting after sub-section (2.) the following sub-section:—

(2a.) The Minister may, in his discretion, determine the amount referred to in sub-section (1.) of this, section by—

(a) selecting such packing houses as, in his. opinion, have packed between them a. sufficient proportion of the packed currants, packed sultanas or packed raisins, as the case may be, of the season that have been sold to enable the average return per ton of fruit received for packing in relation to currants, sultanas or raisins, as the case may be, to be fairly ascertained by reference only to the operations of those, packing houses; and

(b) applying the provisions of the last preceding; sub-section as if the packed currants, packed sultanas or packed raisins, as the case may be, of the season packed at those packing houses that have been sold were the whole of the packed fruit, of that kind, of the season that has been sold.; and

(d) by omitting from sub-section (4.) all the words from and including the words the sale shall to the end of the sub-section and inserting in their stead the words the net proceeds received from the sale shall, for the purposes of determining the average return, be deemed to be such amount as the Minister determines would have been the net proceeds if the sale had been made at the appropriate minimum price so calculated.

(2.) The amendments made by the last preceding sub-section shall be deemed to have come into operation on the day on which the Principal Act came into operation.

5. Section 9 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Payment of bounty.

9.—(1.) The bounty in respect of any fruit received for packing is payable to the grower of that fruit, and payment of the bounty may be effected in accordance with this section.


(2.) The Minister may enter into an arrangement with the Company to perform the function of making payments of bounty on behalf of the Commonwealth in accordance with this section.

(3.) Where an arrangement has been made under the last preceding sub-section, the total amount of all bounty payable under this Act in respect of currants, sultanas or raisins of a season received for packing shall be paid to the Company.

(4.) Amounts received by the Company under the last preceding sub-section in respect of bounty on the production of fruit of any kind of a season—

(a) shall be used only for the purpose of making payments to growers of bounty to which they are entitled in respect of fruit of that kind of that season; and

(b) until so used shall be deemed to be money held in trust for the Commonwealth.

(5.) For the purpose of making payments of bounty to growers in respect of any fruit, the Company may arrange for a packer to whom growers delivered any of that fruit to pay, as agent of the Company, to each of those growers the bounty payable to him, but payment of any moneys by the Company to a packer for the purposes of such an arrangement does not relieve the Company of its liability to account to the Commonwealth for so much of any moneys paid to the Company in accordance with sub-section (3.) of this section in respect of bounty to which the arrangement relates as exceeds the payments of that bounty that have been made to growers by the packer in accordance with the arrangement.

(6.) An assignment of bounty is void as against the Commonwealth.

(7.) Notwithstanding the last preceding sub-section, where—

(a) an arrangement has been made between the Company and a packer in accordance with sub-section (5.) of this section;

(b) moneys are paid by the Company to the packer in relation to bounty that is payable to a grower in respect of any fruit; and

(c) the grower is indebted to the packer by reason of a loan or advance made to the grower by the packer and the grower has authorized the packer to retain moneys payable by him to the grower in respect of that fruit in or towards the discharge of that indebtedness,

the packer may apply the whole or a part of the moneys so paid by the Company to the packer in or towards the discharge of that indebtedness and, where the packer so applies an amount the


amount so applied shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have been received by the grower from the packer as bounty in respect of that fruit.

(8.) The provisions of sub-sections (2.) to (7.) (inclusive) of this section apply in relation to the making of payments under section twelve of this Act as if an amount payable to a grower under that section in relation to charge paid in respect of any fruit were an amount of bounty payable to the grower in respect of that fruit..

Offences.

6. Section 14 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting paragraph (c) of sub-section (1.) and inserting in its stead the following paragraph:—

(c) in connexion with this Act, present to an officer or other person (including the Company) doing duty or performing functions in relation to this Act or the regulations an account, book or document, or make or furnish to such an officer or person a statement or return, that is false or misleading in a material particular.; and

(b) by inserting in sub-section (2.), after the word bounty the words , or any moneys in respect of bounty,.

Amendments in relation to decimal currency.

7. The Principal Act is amended as set out in the Schedule to this Act.

 

THE SCHEDULE Section 7.

Amendments in relation to Decimal Currency

Provisions amended

Omit—

Insert—

Section 3.............

Five pounds

Ten dollars

Section 12(1.)(a).......

Five hundred thousand pounds

One million dollars

Section 12(1.)(b).......

Two million pounds

Four million dollars

Section 12(1.)(c).......

Five hundred thousand pounds

One million dollars

Section 14(1.).........

Five hundred pounds

One thousand dollars

Section 16............

One hundred pounds

Two hundred dollars

Section 17............

One hundred pounds

Two hundred dollars

Section 19............

One hundred pounds

Two hundred dollars

Section 20(c)..........

One hundred pounds

Two hundred dollars

 

Overview

The Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1966, enacted in 1966, amends the Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1964 to address issues related to the stabilization and bounty payments for dried vine fruits such as currants, sultanas, and raisins. The Act was passed by the Parliament of Australia to refine and enhance the mechanisms for determining average returns and the distribution of bounty payments to growers. The policy objective of the Act is to ensure the stability and fair remuneration for growers by accurately determining the average returns from the sale of dried vine fruits and facilitating efficient bounty payments through the Dried Fruits Stabilization Committee Limited. The Act includes amendments to the definition of terms, the method for ascertaining the average return, the payment of bounty, and updates in relation to decimal currency. The amendments aim to improve the accuracy of financial assessments and streamline the process of distributing bounty payments to growers, ensuring that the financial support provided is both fair and effectively managed.

Scope and Application

The Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1966 is an amendment to the Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1964, targeting the dried vine fruits industry within Australia. This Act applies specifically to the growers of currants, sultanas, and raisins and the entities involved in the packing of these fruits. The legislation is concerned with the stabilization of the dried vine fruits market by setting an average return for growers and ensuring payments of bounty to them. The Act allows the Minister to determine the average return by considering the net proceeds from sales at selected packing houses. Additionally, the Act enables the Minister to arrange with The Dried Fruits Stabilization Committee Limited for the payment of bounty to growers, ensuring these payments are made from funds held in trust for the Commonwealth. The Act also includes provisions for offences related to false or misleading statements made in connection with the Act and adjusts monetary thresholds to reflect decimal currency changes. The Act's application is limited to the operations within the Commonwealth of Australia and does not explicitly state exclusions or exemptions, although the specific nature of its provisions may implicitly exclude non-relevant parties or activities.

Key Provisions

The Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1966 (referred to as the Act) introduces amendments to the Dried Vine Fruits Stabilization Act 1964 (referred to as the Principal Act). The Act allows the Minister to determine the average return per ton of fruit by selecting specific packing houses that have packed a sufficient proportion of the fruit (section 4). This discretionary power helps ensure a fair ascertainment of the average return. The bounty for any fruit received for packing is to be paid to the grower, and the Minister may arrange for the Dried Fruits Stabilization Committee Limited (referred to as the Company) to make these payments on behalf of the Commonwealth (section 9). The bounty is payable in accordance with the arrangements set by the Minister, and the Company must account to the Commonwealth for any moneys paid to growers. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Growers must deliver their fruit to designated packing houses for processing and receive the bounty payments. The Minister must fairly determine the average return, and the Company must accurately calculate and disburse the bounty to the growers. Additionally, the Act requires that any bounty payments made by the Company to packers on behalf of growers be accounted for and that assignments of bounty are void against the Commonwealth, unless specific conditions are met (section 9). Offences under the Act include presenting false or misleading accounts, books, documents, statements, or returns to officers or persons performing duties or functions under the Act (section 6). The penalty for such offences includes a fine of up to one thousand dollars, and the Act also specifies that any moneys in respect of bounty are subject to these penalties. Furthermore, the Act has been updated to reflect the transition to decimal currency, with specified monetary amounts adjusted accordingly (section 7). The amendments ensure that the financial provisions of the Act are aligned with the new currency system.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.