EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1982 No. 239
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry.
LIVE-STOCK SLAUGHTER LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
These regulations are intended to amend the existing regulations under the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964 so as to increase the amounts levied per head of sheep and lambs.
The Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act imposes a levy on the slaughter of cattle, calves, bobby calves, buffaloes, sheep, lambs and goats. The levy consists of 4 components, which respectively raise funds for the following purposes:
(a) Financing of the Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation (AMLC)
(b) General meat research
(c) Meat Processing research
(d) Bovine disease eradication (only cattle, calves, bobby calves and buffaloes are levied for this purpose).
The Act specifies the maximum amounts per head which may be levied under the various components in respect of each category of livestock. The operative amounts are prescribed by regulation and section 8 of the Act empowers the Governor-General to do this.
Section 8 also requires that before making such regulations, the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendations made to the Minister for Primary Industry by the AMLC. The AMLC is in turn required to consult the industry Consultative Groups established under its enabling Act.
The AMLC has recommended to the Minister for Primary Industry that the component of the levy which raises funds for AMLC activities be increased, in respect of sheep and lambs, by 2 cents per head with effect from 1 October 1982.
The increase is required to give effect to a recent agreement between industry representatives and the Government on a market development fund to promote sheepmeat exports. This is to be operated by the AMLC and financed by a 2 cent increase in the slaughter levy on sheep and lambs.
Before the AMLC made its recommendation to the Minister, it duly consulted the Live-stock Producers Consultative Group and the Meat Exporters and Abattoir Operators Consultative Group.