EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1989 No. 310
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy
HONEY EXPORT CHARGE ACT 1973
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)(b) of the Act is, by virtue of the Rural Industries Research Act 1985, designated for research funding.
Under paragraph 7(1)(b) of the Act, the rate of charge for research purposes may be varied, by regulation, from 0.25 cent up to a maximum of 0.5 cent per kilogram of honey. The present prescribed rate is 0.45 cent.
Subsection 7(3) of the Act provides that before making regulations for the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(b) the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendation made to the Minister by the Honey Research Council or by the producers’ organisation.
The Federal Council of Australian Apiarists’ Associations, the producers’ organisation, have recommended to the Minister an increase in the operative rate of charge for research purposes from 0.45 cent to 0.47 cent per kilogram of honey.
The recommendation is in accordance with the Government’s objective of encouraging rural industries to increase their contributions for research.
The purpose of the proposed Regulations is to increase the rate of charge, for research purposes, to 0.47 cent per kilogram of honey. The increase is to come into effect from 1 January 1990.