EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1986 No 371
Stevedoring Industry Levy (Rates of Levy) Regulations (Amendment)
(Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations)
The amendments to the Stevedoring Industry Levy (Rates of Levy) Regulations are designed to give effect to recommendations made by the Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (the Committee) to the Minister with respect to the rate of levy prescribed for the purposes of Sections 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the Stevedoring Industry Levy Act 1977 (the Act).
The amendments affect both the general levy under section 5 of the Act and the special levies under sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Act.
The Committee has recommended that the rate of the general levy for the purposes of sub-section 5(a) of the Act, be increased from $1.56 to $2.26 per man-hour for Division A waterside workers (permanent ports) and the rate of levy for the purpose of sub-section 5(b) of the Act, be increased from $10.56 to $11.26 per man-hour for Division B waterside workers (non-permanent ports). The Committee has recommended that the rate of the special levy for the purposes of section 6 of the Act be decreased from 68 cents to 49 cents per bulk handling man-hour of employment and the rate of the levy for the purposes of section 7 of the Act be decreased from 26.25 cents to 5 cents per tonne of local cargo loaded into ships. The Committee has also recommended that the rate of levy for the purposes of section 8 of the Act be decreased from 35 cents to 25 cents per tonne of overseas cargo loaded into or unloaded from ships. The Committee has requested that the adjustments should come into effect on and from 29 December 1986.
The Committee’s recommendation for an increase in the general levy rates in relation to section 5 of the Act is the result of the increase in the cost of contributions to the Stevedoring Employees Retirement Fund (SERF) arising out of the ACTU’s 3 per cent productivity claim. The Committee’s recommendations for a reduction in the special levy rates in relation to sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Act are the result of an over-recovery in the redundancy deficit account.
The amended regulations have effect from 29 December 1986.