EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1986 No. 2
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Primary Industry
RURAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH REGULATIONS
The Rural Industries Research Act 1985 is concerned with the organisation and administrative arrangements under which Government and industry monies are allocated to rural industry research. Funds are allocated by Research Councils or State Research Committees representing each of the industries for which research levies are collected under Commonwealth legislation. The objects of this legislation are to ensure expenditure on rural industry research increases the commercial returns to producers and to improve accountability for expenditure on rural research and development.
Section 62 of the Rural Industries Research Act 1985 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing all matters necessary or convenient to be prescribed for giving effect to the Act.
The Act provides for a Research Fund and Research Council to be established for Barley, Chicken Meat, Cotton, Dairy, Dried Fruits, Honey, Oilseeds, Pigs, Poultry, Tobacco and Wheat.
When the Act received Royal Assent on 3 October 1985, the Grain Legumes research arrangements were not in place. Sections 6(3) and 11(3) of the Act provide for the establishment of a Research Trust Fund and a Research Council for commodities other than those listed above.
The new Grain Legumes research arrangements provide for the Grain Legumes Levy Act 1985 and the Grain Legumes Levy Collection Act 1985 to operate from 1 November 1985. Funds raised by the levy will be used to finance research into grain legumes pursuant to the Act. The Levy Acts provide for an initial levy rate of 75 cents per tonne of Grain Legumes processed or delivered. Amounts equal to the levy collected will be paid into a Research Trust Fund established under the Act. The Commonwealth will match expenditure of industry monies from the Fund on a dollar for dollar basis up to a maximum level equal to 0.5% of the average gross value of production of leviable Grain Legumes.
Research under the scheme will begin in 1986/87 when the level of funds should be sufficient to finance a research programme. The actual level of expenditure on research will be determined by the Grain Legumes Research Council which will be selected and appointed by 1 February 1986.