EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1989 No. 225
Issued by the Authority of the
Minister for Primary Industries and Energy
HONEY EXPORT CHARGE (RATE OF CHARGE) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Section 9 of the Honey Export Charge Act 1973 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of section 6 and 7 of the Act.
The Act imposes a charge on Honey that is exported from Australia. The charge has two components. The component referred to in paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Act is, by virtue of the Honey Marketing Act 1988, designated for funding of the Australian Honey Board (AHB).
Under paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Act, the rate of charge for AHB purposes may be varied, by regulation, from 0.50 cent up to a maximum of 1.0 cent per kilogram of honey. The present prescribed rate is 0.50 cent.
Paragraph 7(2) of the Act provides that before making regulations for the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(a) the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendation made to the Minister by the Board.
The Board is required under paragraph 7(2A) to consult with the producers’ organisation (Federal Council of Australian Apiarists’ Associations - FCAAA) and packers’ organisation (Honey Packers Association of Australia - HPAA) before making a recommendation and both agree to a new rate being prescribed. paragraph 7(2B) restricts the AHB to recommending a rate no higher than that agreed to by the producers’ or packers’ organisation.
Both the FCAAA and HPAA have agreed to proposals by the AHB for an increase in the rate of charge for Board funding from 0.50 to 0.75 cents per kilogram of honey.
The purpose of the proposed Regulations is to increase the rate of charge, for AHB purposes, to 0.75 cents per kilogram of honey. The increase is to come into effect from 1 September 1989.