EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1986 NO 355
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry
MEAT INSPECTION (MODIFICATION) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Meat Inspection Act 1983 (‘the Act’) provides for the inspection of meat which is intended for consumption within Australia. The Act applies only in those States which have referred to the Commonwealth their powers to legislate in this area and to Territories to which the Governor-General has declared by Proclamation that the Act should extend. The Act became applicable in the Northern Territory on 15 December 1986.
Sub-section 36(1) of the the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed. Sub-section 6(1) of the Act provides that the regulations may provide that a specified provision of the Act does not apply, or applies with specified modifications, in relation to a specified State or Territory.
The Meat Inspection (Modification) Regulations (Amendment) (‘the Amendment’) specify provisions of the Act which do not apply or which apply with specified modifications in the Northern Territory.
Regulations 4, 5 and 7 of the Amendment insert regulations 4 and 5 and Schedule 2 into the Principal Regulations.
Regulation 4, as inserted in the Principal Regulations, modifies several provisions in the Act by removing references to animal food (ie pet meat) and to premises in which animal food is prepared, as set out in the proposed Schedule 2.
Regulation 5, as inserted in the Principal Regulations, modifies section 4 of the Act by including a provision whereby the Proclamation extending the Act to the Northern Territory is to cease to have effect if that is requested by the Administrator of the Northern Territory.
Regulations 3 and 6 of the Amendment effect consequential drafting changes to the Principal Regulations.
The Amendment takes effect on 15 December 1986, when the Act was extended to the Northern Territory.