EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES NO. 79 OF 1985
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry.
REGULATIONS UNDER THE POULTRY INDUSTRY LEVY ACT 1965
Section 11 of the Poultry Industry Levy Act 1965 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations necessary for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
Section 5 of the Act provides that a levy is, on each prescribed day, imposed in respect of hens kept for commercial purposes on that day.
Sub-section 6(1) provides that the rate of levy is such amount in respect of each hen as is prescribed. Sub-section 6(2) provides that before making any regulations for the purposes of sub-section 6(1), the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendation with respect to the rate of levy made to the Minister by the Australian Egg Marketing Council (the Council), and regulations shall not be made prescribing a rate in excess of the rate last recommended by the Council to the Minister.
The existing Regulations made in accordance with these provisions prescribe the rate of hen levy at 7.5 cents per hen per fortnight.
The Council has now recommended to the Minister that the hen levy be decreased to 5.0 cents per fortnight to commence on 1 July 1985. The proposed amendment to the regulations is in accordance with the Council’s recommendation.
Sub-section 6(3) of the Act provides for a maximum hen levy of $2 per annum. The rate now recommended by the Council is equivalent to $1.30 per hen per annum.
The receipts from the hen levy are distributed for assistance to the poultry industry and for expenditure on research. The bulk of the money is used to offset the losses which the State Egg Marketing Boards incur in the disposal of surplus eggs, mainly on the export market.
AUTHORITY
Section 11 of the Poultry Industry Levy Act 1965.