Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 1) 1950

Legislation au C1950A00007 Not in force Act

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WOOL (CONTRIBUTORY CHARGE) (No. 1).

 

No. 7 of 1950.

An Act to impose a Contributory Charge upon certain wool produced in Australia.

[Assented to 1st July, 1950.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 1) 1950.


Commencement.

2.—(1.) Subject to this section, this Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty-six.

(2.) Section seven of this Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.

Act to be read with Assessment Act.

3. The Wool (Contributory Charge) Assessment Act 1945–1950 shall be read as one with this Act.

Imposition of charge.

4. Subject to the provisions of the Wool (Contributory Charge) Assessment Act 1945–1950 for preventing charge from being payable on any wool both under this Act and under the Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 2) 1950, a contributory charge is imposed on all wool—

(a) produced in Australia: and

(b) on or after the date of commencement of this section—

(i) sold by a broker at auction or otherwise;

(ii) purchased by a manufacturer: or

(iii) subjected by a manufacturer (whether or not he is the producer or owner of the wool) to a process of manufacture.

Previous rates adopted.

5. The rate of the charge shall be—

(a) on and after the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty-six, up to and including the thirty-first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty-seven—five per centum of the sale value of the wool;

(b) on and after the first day of August, One thousand nine hundred and forty-seven, up to and including the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and forty-eight—three-quarters of one per centum of the sale value of the wool; and

(c) subject to section seven of this Act, on and after the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty-eight, up to and including the day immediately before the commencement of regulations prescribing a percentage under the next succeeding section—one-half of one per centum of the sale value of the wool.

Rate of charge.

6. Subject to this Act, the rate of the charge shall be such percentage as is prescribed from time to time of the sale value of the wool, being a percentage not exceeding the percentage which, in the opinion of the Governor-General, after taking into consideration any advice tendered to the Minister by the Australian Wool Realization Commission, is necessary in order to produce, together with the amount likely to be produced under the Wool (Contributory Charge)


Act (No. 2) 1950 if the same percentage is prescribed under section six of that Act, an amount equal to the sum of the following amounts:—

(a) the amounts required to meet the share of the industry in the operating expenses of the Joint Organization as provided in paragraph three of Part III. of the Disposals Plan, being the plan a copy of which is set forth in the Schedule to the Wool Realization Act 1945;

(b) the amounts required for payment of interest, at such rate as the Treasurer determines, upon the amount from time to time expended by the Commonwealth in purchases of wool in pursuance of the Disposals Plan and unrecouped; and

(c) the amounts required for payment into the Wool Use Promotion Fund in pursuance of section sixteen of the Wool Use Promotion Act 1945, as affected by the Wool (Contributory Charge) Assessment Act 1945–1950.

Increased rate of charge.

7.—(1.) Subject to the next succeeding section, the regulations may from time to time prescribe a percentage, distinct from the percentage (if any) prescribed for the purposes of the last preceding section, being a percentage not exceeding the percentage which, in the opinion of the Governor-General, after taking into consideration any views on the matter which have been expressed to the Minister of State for Commerce and Agriculture by the Australian Wool Realization Commission, the Australian Woolgrowers’ Council, the Australian Wool and Meat Producers’ Federation and the Australian Primary Producers’ Union, is necessary in order to produce, together with the amount likely to be produced under the Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 2) 1950 if the same percentage is prescribed under section seven of that Act, an amount equal to the sum of the amounts required, or likely to be required, to be contributed by the wool industry to the cost of establishing a scheme of reserve prices for wool after the Disposals Plan ceases to operate and to the cost of operating that scheme.

(2.) Where regulations are in operation prescribing a percentage under this section, the rate of the charge shall be a percentage of the sale value of the wool equal to the percentage so prescribed or, where a percentage is also prescribed under the last preceding section, equal to the sum of the percentages prescribed under this section and the last preceding section.

Maximum rate.

8. The rate of the charge shall not at any time exceed ten per centum of the sale value of the wool.

Regulations.

9. The Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, for prescribing the percentage required or permitted to be prescribed for the purposes of section six or seven of this Act.

Overview

The Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 1) 1950 was enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament to address financial needs arising from wool production and processing in Australia. This Act imposes a contributory charge on certain wool produced in Australia, with the proceeds intended to fund various costs associated with the wool industry, including operating expenses, interest payments on past wool purchases, and the Wool Use Promotion Fund. The Act was designed to ensure that the wool industry contributes towards its own management and the broader economic activities related to wool. The policy objective of the Act was to provide a structured financial contribution from the wool industry to support its operational needs and broader economic objectives. The Act came into operation on 1 July 1950, with specific provisions detailed in the Wool (Contributory Charge) Assessment Act 1945–1950. The rate of the charge varied over time, starting at 5% of the sale value of the wool from 1 July 1946 to 31 July 1947, decreasing to ¾% from 1 August 1947 to 30 June 1948, and further to ½% from 1 July 1948 until the commencement of regulations under the Act. The Governor-General had the authority to prescribe the rate of the charge, ensuring it did not exceed 10% of the sale value of the wool. This legislative framework aimed to provide a stable and predictable financial contribution from the wool industry to support its economic and operational needs.

Scope and Application

The Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 1) 1950 applies to all wool produced in Australia, irrespective of the producer or owner, and imposes a contributory charge on such wool. The charge applies to wool sold by a broker at auction or otherwise, purchased by a manufacturer, or subjected by a manufacturer to a process of manufacture, on or after the date of commencement of the Act. This Act operates in conjunction with the Wool (Contributory Charge) Assessment Act 1945–1950 and is designed to prevent double taxation of the same wool under multiple Acts. The charge is levied to cover the wool industry's share of the operating expenses of the Joint Organization, the interest on amounts expended by the Commonwealth for purchasing wool under the Disposals Plan, and payments into the Wool Use Promotion Fund. The rate of the charge is initially set at five per centum of the sale value of the wool for the first year, reducing to three-quarters of one per centum for the second year, and then to one-half of one per centum for the third year, with further adjustments possible through regulations made by the Governor-General. The maximum rate of charge cannot exceed ten per centum of the sale value of the wool. The Act extends its application through subordinate instruments in the form of regulations that can prescribe different rates as necessary to meet specific financial obligations of the wool industry.

Key Provisions

The Wool (Contributory Charge) Act (No. 1) 1950 establishes a contributory charge on wool produced in Australia. Section 4 of the Act imposes this charge on wool produced in Australia on or after 1 July 1946, when it is either sold by a broker, purchased by a manufacturer, or subjected to a manufacturing process by a manufacturer. The charge is set at varying rates through different periods as specified in Section 5, and can be further adjusted according to the needs of the industry as per Section 7. The Act outlines the obligations of wool producers, brokers, and manufacturers to pay the contributory charge on the sale value of wool. This includes ensuring that the wool is not sold or processed without accounting for the charge, as stipulated in Section 4. Additionally, the Act requires compliance with the Wool (Contributory Charge) Assessment Act 1945–1950 to avoid double taxation on the same wool under different Acts, as mentioned in Section 4. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act may result in legal consequences. Although the Act does not explicitly outline specific offences or penalties, non-compliance could potentially lead to civil or criminal proceedings under related legislation. The penalties for such breaches could include fines or other sanctions, the specifics of which would be determined by the courts based on the nature and severity of the offence.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.