EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1988 NO 34
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Resources
MEAT INSPECTION ACT 1983
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 will be applicable in Victoria on and from 3 April 1988.
Subsection 36(1) of the Act provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed. Subsection 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’) specifies provisions of the Act which do not apply or which apply with specified modifications in Victoria.
Regulations 1 and 2 of the Amendment insert a new regulation 7 and a new Schedule 4 into the Meat Inspection (Modification) Regulations as amended (‘the Principal Regulations’).
Regulation 7 as inserted in the Principal Regulations provides that the provisions of the Act which are modified in their application to Victoria are as set out in Schedule 4 as inserted in the Principal Regulations.
Schedule 4 as inserted in the Principal Regulations modifies the Act in its application to Victoria by excluding the licensing of premises from the function of the inspection of meat (subsection 4(1) and 4(3) of the Act) and introducing a definition of ‘meat’ for the transfer of the function of the inspection of meat from Victoria to the Commonwealth (subsection 4(8) of the Act).
The Amendment takes effect upon Gazettal.