EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1987 No. 104
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry
PIG SLAUGHTER LEVY ACT 1971
PIG SLAUGHTER LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The Pig Slaughter Levy Act 1971 (the Act) provides for a levy to be imposed on the slaughter at an abattoir of pigs for sale for human consumption.
Section 8 of the Act empowers the Governor-General to make regulations for the purpose of section 6 of the Act. Section 6 provides that the levy shall be the aggregate of:
• an amount for research purposes, prescribed by regulations, not exceeding 50¢; and
• an amount for promotion purposes, prescribed by regulations, not exceeding $1.
Before making regulations prescribing an amount for research purposes, the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendation regarding this amount made to the Minister for Primary Industry by the Pig Research Council. However, regulations shall not be made prescribing such an amount greater than the amount last recommended by the Pig Research Council to the Minister for Primary Industry.
The Pig Slaughter Levy Regulations currently prescribe a slaughter levy of 20 cents per pig for research purposes and a slaughter levy of $1 per pig for promotion purposes, a total levy of $1.20 per pig slaughtered.
The Pig Research Council recommended to the Minister that the research portion of the pig slaughter levy be increased to 30 cents per pig slaughtered to enable it to continue to fund its research program and to maintain a safe level of reserves in the Trust Fund.
The purpose of the proposed regulations is to apply an increased operative rate of levy for research purposes, from 1 July 1987. From that date the pig slaughter levy will be $1.30 per pig slaughtered, being the aggregate of an amount of 30¢ per pig for research purposes and $1 per pig for promotion purposes. The new rate does not exceed the maximum rate for research prescribed by the Act.