EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1985 No. 238
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry
MEAT EXPORT CHARGE ACT 1984
MEAT EXPORT CHARGE REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Meat Export Charge Act 1984 (the Act) empowers the Governor-General to make regulations prescribing the manner of determining the weight of meat.
Sub-section 7(2) of the Act provides that the way in which the weight of meat (to which the meat export charge applies) shall be determined shall be subject to any provision of the regulations that relates to the manner in which the weight of meat shall be determined.
Regulation 8 of the Meat Export Charge Regulations provides for the weight of meat of a carcase (or portion of a carcase) from which none of the bone has been removed to be deemed to be 66% of the weight of the carcase (or portion) in the case of cattle (except for veal), buffaloes or horses, and 50% in the case of other meat.
Export markets have been established for deer meat and it has been decided to impose a meat export charge on deer meat slaughtered at a registered establishment, like that imposed on cattle, as the boneless meat-yield for deer meat is comparable to that for cattle and other large live-stock.
The regulation amends sub-regulation 8(a) of the Meat Export Charge Regulations to deem the weight of meat of a deer carcase (or portion of a deer carcase) from which none of the bone has been removed to include a reference to deer which will be 66% of the total weight of that deer carcase or portion.