EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1990 No. 347
Issued by the authority of the Minister of State for Resources
HONEY LEVY ACT (NO 1) 1962
HONEY LEVY (NO 1) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Section 7 of the Honey Levy Act (No 1) 1962 (the Levy Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of carrying out or giving effect to the Levy Act.
The Levy Act imposes a levy on honey produced or sold in Australia. The levy has three components. The component referred to in paragraph 5(1)(b) of the Act is, by virtue of the Rural Industries Research Act 1985. designated for research funding.
Under paragraph 5(1)(b) of the Act, the rate of levy 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 0.47 cent.
Subsection 5(3) of the Levy Act provides that before making regulations for the purposes of paragraph 5(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 levy for research purposes from 0.47 cent to 0.50 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 levy, for research purposes, to 0.50 cent per kilogram of honey. The increase is to come into effect from 1 January 1991.