STATUTORY RULES.
1910. No. 37.
REGULATION UNDER THE SPIRITS ACT 1906.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulation under the Sprits Act 1906, to come into operation forthwith.
Provisional Regulation (Statutory Rules 1909, No. 112) under the said Act, made on the 24th day of September, 1909, is hereby cancelled.
Dated this eighth day of April, One thousand nine hundred and ten.
DUDLEY,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
R. W. BEST,
Minister of State for Trade and Customs.
The Spirits Act Regulations (Statutory Rules 1907, No. 29) are hereby amended by the addition of the following:—
Liniments and Veterinary Medicines containing Methylated Spirits.
57a. Where any liniment or veterinary medicine made in Australia contains methylated spirits, a label shall be affixed to the bottle or packet in which it is contained, having thereon in clear and prominent characters a statement as follows:—
“This preparation contains * per cent. by volume of methylated spirits.”
* Quantity to be stated.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by J. Kemp, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
C.4923.—Price 3d.
Overview
The Spirits Act Regulations 1910, issued under the authority of the Spirits Act 1906, were enacted to address specific concerns regarding the labelling of liniments and veterinary medicines containing methylated spirits. This legislative instrument was created by the Governor-General in Council, with the aim of ensuring that consumers and users of these products are clearly informed about the presence and quantity of methylated spirits in their contents. This was achieved by requiring a clear and prominent label on the packaging of such products. The policy objective behind this regulation is to maintain consumer safety and transparency in the use of products that may contain harmful substances, thereby protecting public health.
Scope and Application
The Spirits Act Regulations (Statutory Rules 1907, No. 29), amended by Statutory Rules 1910, No. 37, apply to any liniment or veterinary medicine manufactured within Australia that contains methylated spirits. This amendment necessitates that such products must be labelled with a clear and prominent statement indicating the percentage by volume of methylated spirits contained within the preparation. The requirement is intended to ensure transparency and consumer safety by informing users of the specific composition of the product. The application of these regulations is confined to products made within Australia, and the regulation itself is a federal instrument that extends its reach across the Commonwealth of Australia. There are no stated exclusions or exemptions in this particular amendment, and it applies uniformly without differentiation across the industry. The regulation enforces a mandatory labelling requirement, with the quantity of methylated spirits to be explicitly stated on the product packaging.
Key Provisions
The principal operative section of this legislation is Section 57a, which mandates that any liniment or veterinary medicine made in Australia that contains methylated spirits must have a label affixed to the bottle or packet. This label must prominently display the percentage by volume of methylated spirits in the preparation (Section 57a). The percentage must be clearly stated to inform consumers and users of the product.
The Act imposes specific obligations on manufacturers and suppliers of liniment and veterinary medicine products that contain methylated spirits. These parties must ensure that a label is affixed to the packaging, clearly indicating the percentage by volume of methylated spirits present in the product. This requirement aims to ensure transparency and safety in the labelling of these products, allowing consumers and professionals to make informed decisions based on the contents.
Failure to comply with the labelling requirements stipulated in Section 57a may result in various consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the legislation, non-compliance with labelling requirements under the Spirits Act 1906 can lead to regulatory action, including fines and other administrative penalties. These consequences serve as a deterrent against non-compliance, ensuring that manufacturers and suppliers adhere to the statutory obligations designed to protect public health and safety.