Meat Research Act 1965

Legislation au C1965A00075 Not in force Act

Legislation content

Meat Research

No. 75 of 1965

An Act to amend the Cattle and Beef Research Act 1960–1964.

[Assented to 25 November, 1965]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Meat Research Act 1965.

(2.) The Cattle and Beef Research Act 1960–1964 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Meat Research Act 1960–1965.

Commencement.

2.—(1.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-section, this Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.

(2.) Section 11 of this Act shall come into operation on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.

Title.

3. The title to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words “Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account” and inserting in their stead the words “Meat Research Trust Account”.

4. Sections 3 and 4 of the Principal Act are repealed and the following sections inserted in their stead:—

Definitions.

“3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

‘cattle’ means bovine animals;

‘lamb’ means a sheep that has not cut a permanent incisor tooth;

‘meat’ means beef, mutton and lamb;

‘meat producer’ means a person engaged in the raising or fattening of cattle, sheep or lambs intended for the production of meat for human consumption;

‘member’ means a member of the Committee;

‘nominated member’ means a member referred to in any of paragraphs (b) to (e), inclusive, of sub-section (1.) of section nine of this Act;

‘sheep’ does not include lambs;


‘the Board’ means the Australian Meat Board continued in existence by the Meat Industry Act 1964–1965;

‘the Committee’ means the Australian Meat Research Committee constituted under this Act;

‘the Research Account’ means the Meat Research Trust Account established by this Act.

Meat Research Trust Account.

“4.—(1.) An account is hereby established to be known as the Meat Research Trust Account.

“(2.) The Research Account is a Trust Account for the purposes of section sixty-two a of the Audit Act 1901–1964.”.

Moneys to be paid into the Research Account.

5.—(1.) Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.) and inserting in its stead the following paragraph:—

“(a) amounts equal to the amounts of levy received by the Commonwealth by virtue of paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of section six, paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of section six a, and paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of section six b, of the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964–1965;”; and

(b) by omitting sub-section (5.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-section:—

“(5.) A reference in paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.) of this section to amounts of levy received by the Commonwealth shall be read as including a reference to amounts received from the proprietor of an abattoir in accordance with section seven of the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Collection Act 1964 and amounts payable by way of penalty in accordance with section nine of that Act in relation to amounts of levy referred to in that paragraph.”.

(2.) Moneys standing, immediately before the date of commencement of this section, to the credit of the Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account established by the Principal Act shall be paid into the Meat Research Trust Account and so much of those moneys as was, immediately before that date, invested by the Treasurer under section 62b of the Audit Act 1901–1964 shall be deemed at that date to be moneys standing to the credit of the Meat Research Trust Account that have been so invested.

(3.) Moneys that would, but for this Act, have been payable into the Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account in pursuance of sub-section (2.) of section 4 of the Cattle and Beef Research Act 1964 shall be deemed to be payable into the Meat Research Trust Account in pursuance of paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.) of section 5 of the Meat Research Act 1960–1965.


(4.) Any moneys that would, but for this Act, have been payable out of the Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account in respect of any act or transaction done or entered into before the commencement of this section may be paid out of the Meat Research Trust Account.

(5.) Notwithstanding the amendment made by paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.) of this section, paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.) of section 5 of the Principal Act, and the regulations made for the purposes of the last-mentioned paragraph in force immediately before the commencement of this section, continue to apply in relation to amounts of levy received by the Commonwealth in relation to the slaughter of live-stock that is or was slaughtered before the date on which regulations made for the purposes of sections 6, 6a and 6b of the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964–1965 take effect.

Application of the Research Account.

6. Section 6 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.) the words “beef and other products of the slaughter of cattle, and of encouraging the raising of cattle” and inserting in their stead the words “meat and other products of the slaughter of cattle, sheep and lambs, and of encouraging the raising of cattle, sheep and lambs”;

(b) by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) the words “fees and allowances” and inserting in their stead the words “fees, expenses and allowances”; and

(c) by omitting from paragraph (c) of sub-section (1.) the words “fees and allowances” and inserting in their stead the words “fees, expenses and allowances”.

7. Section 8 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead :—

Australian Meat Research Committee.

“8.—(1.) For the purposes of this Act there shall be an Australian Meat Research Committee.

“(2.) The functions of the Committee are—

(a) to make recommendations to the Board with respect to the amounts to be prescribed from time to time for the purposes of paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of section six, paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of section six a, and paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of section six b, of the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964–1965; and


(b) to formulate plans with respect to matters in relation to which moneys standing to the credit of the Research Account may be expended and to make recommendations to the Minister with respect to the expenditure of those moneys.”.

Constitution of Committee.

8.—(1.) Section 9 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting sub-section (1.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-section:—

“(1.) The Committee shall consist of—

(a) the Chairman of the Board;

(b) seven persons to represent Australian meat producers;

(c) one person to represent the organization known as the Australian Agricultural Council;

(d) one person to represent the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization:

(e) one person to represent such Universities as engage in research into matters affecting the meat industry; and

(f) one person to represent the Department of Primary Industry.”; and

(b) by omitting sub-sections (3.) and (4.) and inserting in their stead the following sub-sections:—

“(3.) The members of the Committee referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-section (1.) of this section shall be appointed on the nomination of the Board.

“(4.) A member of the Committee referred to in paragraph (c), (d) or (e) of sub-section (1.) of this section shall be appointed on the nomination of the organization or of the Universities, as the case may be, that he is to represent.”.

(2.) The members of the Australian Cattle and Beef Research Committee constituted under the Principal Act who held office immediately before the date of commencement of this section shall, on that date, cease to hold office, but, subject to the Principal Act as amended by this Act, are eligible for appointment to the Australian Meat Research Committee.

Fees expenses and allowances.

9. Section 14 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words “fees and allowances” (wherever occurring) and inserting in their stead the words “fees, expenses and allowances”.


Appointment of advisers.

10. Section 15 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “fees and allowances” and inserting in their stead the words “fees, expenses and allowances”.

Appointment of first members of the Australian Meat Research Committee.

11. The members of the Australian Meat Research Committee, other than the Chairman of the Australian Meat Board, may be appointed before the date fixed by Proclamation under sub-section (1.) of section 2 of this Act, but their appointments shall not take effect until that date.

 

Overview

The Meat Research Act 1965 was enacted to address the need for a more comprehensive approach to research within the meat industry, beyond the initial scope of cattle and beef research. This Act amends the Cattle and Beef Research Act 1960–1964 to broaden the focus to include meat derived from sheep and lambs, thereby renaming the Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account to the Meat Research Trust Account. It was enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, with a clear policy objective to enhance the scope and applicability of research funds within the meat sector. This legislation facilitates the expansion of research activities to include all types of meat, thereby better supporting the industry's development and innovation. The Act establishes a Meat Research Trust Account, funded by levies on livestock slaughter and other related penalties, and outlines the functions and composition of the Australian Meat Research Committee, which includes representatives from meat producers, scientific and educational institutions, and relevant government bodies. By amending definitions, funding sources, and the scope of research activities, the Meat Research Act 1965 aims to ensure that research efforts are aligned with the evolving needs of the meat industry, fostering improvements in production, quality, and marketability of meat products.

Scope and Application

The Meat Research Act 1965 amends the Cattle and Beef Research Act 1960–1964 to broaden its scope from cattle and beef to include lamb and mutton, thereby renaming the act to the Meat Research Act 1960–1965. This Act applies to entities within the meat industry, specifically meat producers involved in raising or fattening cattle, sheep, or lambs intended for meat production. It operates on a Commonwealth level, with its provisions enforceable across Australia. The Act establishes the Meat Research Trust Account, which replaces the Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account, to manage funds received from levies on livestock slaughter and penalties. These funds are to be used for research into meat and other products derived from the slaughter of cattle, sheep, and lambs, as well as for encouraging the raising of these animals. The Act also delineates the composition and functions of the Australian Meat Research Committee, which advises the Australian Meat Board on research funding and expenditure. The Act's application is not restricted by geographical boundaries within Australia and includes provisions for the appointment of committee members and the payment of fees, expenses, and allowances. Subordinate instruments may extend or specify the detailed application of certain provisions of the Act.

Key Provisions

The Meat Research Act 1965 (the "Act") amends the Cattle and Beef Research Act 1960–1964 (the "Principal Act") to broaden its scope and update its terminology to reflect the expanded focus on meat research. The Act is set to come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation, with Section 11 taking effect immediately upon Royal Assent. The Principal Act is renamed the Meat Research Act 1960–1965 and the Cattle and Beef Research Trust Account is renamed the Meat Research Trust Account. The Act introduces several key changes. Section 3 of the Principal Act is repealed and replaced with a new section defining terms such as "cattle", "lamb", "meat", and "meat producer", as well as the roles of the "Committee" and "Board". The new Meat Research Trust Account is established as a trust account under the Audit Act 1901–1964 (section 4). The Act also modifies the sources of funding for the account, specifying that moneys from the livestock slaughter levy and penalties will be deposited into the Meat Research Trust Account (section 5). The application of the account is expanded to include meat and other products of the slaughter of cattle, sheep, and lambs, and to encourage the raising of these animals (section 6). The Australian Meat Research Committee is established to make recommendations to the Australian Meat Board regarding levy amounts and to formulate plans for the expenditure of funds from the Research Account (section 8). The Act imposes obligations on various parties, including the requirement for the Australian Meat Research Committee to make recommendations to the Australian Meat Board and the Minister regarding levy amounts and expenditure plans (section 8). The Committee's constitution is detailed, specifying its composition and the appointment process for its members (section 8). The Act also outlines the fees, expenses, and allowances payable to Committee members and advisers (sections 9 and 10). Breach of the Act's provisions could result in civil or criminal consequences, although specific offences, penalties, or consequences are not detailed in the provided text. The Act, however, references the possibility of penalties under the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Collection Act 1964, which may include fines or other sanctions for non-compliance with levy collection and payment requirements.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.