EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1983 No. 191
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry
LIVE-STOCK SLAUGHTER (EXPORT INSPECTION CHARGE) ACT 1979
LIVE-STOCK SLAUGHTER (EXPORT INSPECTION CHARGE) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Live-stock Slaughter (Export Inspection Charge) Act 1979 provides for the Governor-General to make regulations for the purpose of imposing a charge on the slaughter of livestock in abattoirs from which meat intended for export is obtained. The Act provides that regulations may prescribe different rates of charge for different classes of livestock provided they do not exceed maximum rates of charge set in the Act. Currently the maximums allowable are
| $10.80 per head - | for cattle (including buffaloes) where the dressed weight of each carcase exceeds 80kg |
| $3.60 per head - | for cattle where the dressed weight of each carcase exceeds 40kg but does not exceed 90kg |
| $1.08 per head - | for cattle where the dressed weight of each carcase does not exceed 40kg |
| $1.08 per head - | for sheep or goats |
| $3.60 per head - | for pigs |
| $10.80 per head - | for other live-stock e.g. horses, donkeys or mules. |
The maximum rates of charges were recently increased to the above levels by amendment of the Act. Without amendment of the Act the operative rates of charge required to implement the Government’s policy of recovering 50% of export inspection costs incurred during the remainder of 1983/84 would have exceeded the maximum rates of charge previously set in the Act. The amendments to the Act came into effect from the date of Royal Assent, 1983
The Live-stock Slaughter (Export Inspection Charge) Regulations prescribe the operative rates of charge applicable to 7 classes of livestock slaughtered in export licensed abattoirs. The operative charges first came into effect on 1 July 1979 and the rates of charge have not been changed since then.
The proposed livestock slaughter inspection charges have been determined with a view to achieving 50% recovery of costs incurred during the remainder of 1983/84, in line with Government policy. The proposed new rates reflect the cost of inspecting the various classes of livestock and are based on expected throughput of export licensed abattoirs and inspection costs in the 1993/84 financial year. If charges continued at the current level for the full year it is estimated that only 17% of inspection costs in export establishments would be recouped.
The current charges and proposed new charges are as follows:
| Class of Live-stock | Current Charge ($/head) | Proposed Charge ($/head) |
| Cattle (including buffaloes) where the dressed weight of each carcase exceeds 90 kg | 1.80 | 5.40 |
| Cattle where the dressed weight of each carcase exceeds 40 kg but does not exceed 90 kg | 0.60 | 1.80 |
| Cattle where the dressed weight of each carcase does not exceed 40 kg | 0.18 | 0.54 |
| Sheep | 0.18 | 0.54 |
| Goats | 0.18 | 0.54 |
| Pigs | 0.60 | 1.80 |
| Horses, donkeys and mules | 1.80 | 5.40 |
The proposed regulation replaces the Schedule to the Live-stock Slaughter (Export Inspection Charge) Regulations to enable implementation of the increased inspection charges. The increased charges are to come into effect from 1 October 1983.