Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1966

Overview

The Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1966 was enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament to amend the Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1965, addressing specific needs within the poultry industry. The 1966 Act expands on the original legislation by refining the definitions, modifying the allocation of funds, and establishing new frameworks for financial assistance and research. The policy objective is to provide financial support to the poultry industry, particularly through state-level assistance and research initiatives, ensuring the industry's stability and growth. The Act enables the Minister to approve payments for both direct financial assistance to states and research activities related to the poultry industry, subject to recommendations from the relevant council. The Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1966 introduces amendments to the 1965 Act, primarily by expanding the definition of "research" to include scientific, technical, and economic activities, alongside training, publication, and dissemination of information. It also modifies the monetary contributions to the Fund and sets conditions for the expenditure of these funds, ensuring they are directed towards approved activities. The Act maintains a structured approach to supporting the poultry industry by providing clear guidelines on how funds can be utilised, reinforcing the commitment to industry development through targeted financial and research support.

Scope and Application

The Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1966 amends the Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1965 to facilitate the allocation and expenditure of funds from the Poultry Industry Assistance Fund, primarily for financial assistance to states and research within the poultry industry. This Act applies to entities involved in the poultry industry, including state governments that may receive financial assistance and research organisations that may receive funding for poultry-related research. The geographic scope of the Act is national, as it pertains to the Commonwealth of Australia and involves transactions and financial allocations across different states. Notably, the Act sets a threshold of Two hundred thousand dollars for the excess amounts that become payable into the Fund in any financial year, which are to be disregarded for the purposes of the Fund's expenditure. Additionally, the Act allows the Minister to approve payments from the Fund, subject to conditions that ensure the funds are used for assisting the poultry industry and for specified research purposes. Any further regulation or specification of the Act's provisions may be made through subordinate instruments.

Key Provisions

The Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1966 makes several amendments to the Poultry Industry Assistance Act 1965, primarily concerning the administration and expenditure of funds within the poultry industry. Section 2 of the Act introduces a new definition of "research" to clarify the types of activities that can be funded from the poultry industry assistance fund. This includes scientific, technical or economic research, the training of individuals for such research, the publication of related materials, and the dissemination of information and advice (Section 2). The Act imposes specific obligations on the Minister regarding the expenditure of funds from the Poultry Industry Assistance Fund. Under Section 3, the Minister must ensure that moneys in the fund can only be expended with their approval, either for financial assistance to the states (Section 6a) or for research related to the poultry industry (Section 6b). Financial assistance to the states is contingent on the condition that the funds will be used to support the poultry industry as directed by the Minister. The Act also specifies that half of the amounts payable out of the fund for research purposes must be paid into the fund, subject to a cap of Two hundred thousand dollars per financial year (Section 3). In terms of penalties and consequences for breaches, the Act does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance. However, the strict conditions and approvals required for the expenditure of funds imply that unauthorized use of the fund could potentially lead to legal repercussions. Given the financial nature of the fund and its specific designated uses, breaches might result in civil or administrative penalties, though these are not detailed within the Act itself. The amendment of the penalty amount from "One hundred pounds" to "Two hundred dollars" in Section 5 also suggests a formal process for handling breaches, albeit not explicitly defined within the Act.