Live-Stock Slaughter Levy Regulations (Amendment)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

STATUTORY RULES 1985 No.171

Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry

LIVE-STOCK SLAUGHTER LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)

The Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964 imposes a levy on the slaughter of cattle, calves, bobby calves, buffaloes, sheep, lambs and goats. The levy consists of three components, which respectively raise funds for the following purposes:

(a) Financing of the Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation

(b) Financing of the Australian Meat and Live-stock Research and Development Corporation (AMLRDC)

(c) Bovine disease eradication (only cattle, calves, bobby calves and buffaloes are levied for this purpose).

The Government has decided to accept an Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation recommendation that the sheep and lamb levy component that raises funds to finance Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation activities be increased. The recommendation was endorsed at the annual general meeting of the industry on 10 May 1985. The new rates will come into effect on 1 September 1985. The present and proposed operative rates and the ceiling rates currently applicable to the AMLC lamb and sheep operative rates are as follows:

The proposed lamb and sheep slaughter levy increases have been determined with a view to achieving two objectives: the proposed lamb and sheep rate increases of 0.6 cents per head are necessary to finance national computer aided livestock marketing systems; the proposed additional increase of the lamb slaughter levy of 3.6 cents per head has been necessary to bring the level of lamb slaughter levy collected to fund the AMLC’s general promotion activities into line with the sheep slaughter levy which was increased with effect from 1 April 1985.