EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1988 No. 371
Issued by the Authority of the Minister of State for Resources.
GRAPE RESEARCH LEVY ACT 1986
GRAPE RESEARCH LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Grape Research Levy Act 1986 (the Act) imposes a levy on Australian grapes and Australian grape juice delivered to processing establishments (normally wineries). The levy finances a research scheme for the grape industry. Administrative and organisational arrangements for the scheme are provided under the Rural Industries Research Act 1985.
Subsection 7(2) of the Act provides that the rate of levy may be varied up to a level not exceeding 50 cents per tonne of grapes or the equivalent for grape juice. The purpose of the amendment to the regulations is to increase the operative rate of levy from 30 cents per tonne of leviable goods to 50 cents per tonne.
Subsection 10(2) of the Act provides that before making regulations for the purpose of subsection 7(2), the Governor-General shall take into consideration any relevant recommendations made to the Minister by organisations declared under subsection 5 (3) of the Rural Industries Research Act 1985. Each of the four industry organisations representing grapegrowers and winemakers declared under subsection 5(3) has supported the levy increase. The levy is paid into a trust fund administered by the Grape and Wine Research Council. The Commonwealth matches expenditure of industry monies from the Trust Fund on a dollar for dollar basis up to a maximum level of 0.5% of the average gross value of production of wine grapes.