EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1990 No. 65
Issued by the Authority of the Minister of State for Primary
Industries and Energy
PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AND ENERGY RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT ACT 1989
ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REGULATIONS
The proposed Regulations provide for the establishment of the Energy Research and Development Corporation.
Section 8 of the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989 (the Act) provides for the establishment by regulation of a Research and Development Corporation in respect of a primary industry or class of primary industries and for the Corporation to be known by the name specified in the regulations.
Subsection 135(1) of the Act allows the Minister to appoint a Presiding Member of a Corporation Selection Committee if those Regulations have been made but are not yet in force and one or more organisations have been declared under Section 7 of the Act to be representative organisations in relation to the proposed Corporation. Appointment of a Presiding Member initiates the process of selecting persons suitable for appointment as Directors of the Corporation and it is important that this process be completed before the Corporation is established. It is therefore necessary that the Regulations be made well in advance of their commencement date.
Subsection 125(1) of the Act provides that where a Corporation is predominantly funded by the Commonwealth, the regulations may therefore declare the Corporation to be a predominantly Commonwealth funded Corporation, thus empowering the Minister to appoint up to six members of the Selection Committee provided for under section 125 of the Act.