EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1987 NO. 2
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 promotion purposes, the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendation regarding this amount made to the Minister for Primary Industry by the Pork Promotion Committee. However, regulations shall not be made prescribing such an amount greater than the amount last recommended by the Pork Promotion Committee to the Minister for Primary Industry.
The Pig Slaughter Levy Regulations currently prescribe a slaughter levy of 20¢ per pig for research purposes and a slaughter levy of 80¢ per pig for promotion purposes, a total levy of $1 per pig slaughtered.
The Pork Promotion Committee recommended to the Minister that the promotion portion of the pig slaughter levy be increased to $1 per pig slaughtered. The need to maintain current levels of promotion in the face of increasing costs and plans to expand promotion of processed products mean that the increase in levy is necessary.
The purpose of the proposed regulations is to apply an increased operative rate of levy for promotion purposes, from 1 March 1987. From that date the pig slaughter levy will be $1.20 per pig slaughtered, being the aggregate of an amount of 20¢ per pig for research purposes and $1 per pig for promotion purposes. The new rate does not exceed the maximum rate prescribed by the Act.