Wool Industry Act 1974

Legislation au C2004A00123 Not in force Act

Legislation content

WOOL INDUSTRY ACT 1974

 

No. 65 of 1974

 

An Act to amend the Wool Industry Act 1972-1973.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives of Australia, as follows: —

Short title and citation.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Wool Industry Act 1974.

(2) The Wool Industry Act 1972-1973 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Wool Industry Act 1972-1974.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Interpretation.

3. Section 6 of the Principal Act is amended— 

(a) by omitting from the definition of “member” all the words after  the words “the Chairman”; and

(b) by omitting the definition of “the Interim Chairman”.

Interim Chairman.

4. Section 10 of the Principal Act is repealed.

Deputy Chairman.

5. Section 11 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (1) the words “or the Interim Chairman”.

Acting Chairman.

6. Section 12 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (1) the words “or, where there is an Interim Chairman, he is not available to perform the duties of his office,”;

(b) by omitting sub-section (2) and substituting the following sub-section:—

“(2) The Corporation may appoint a member, other than the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman, to act as Chairman during any period when—

(a) the Chairman is absent from duty or the office of Chairman is vacant; and

(b) the Deputy Chairman is not available to perform the duties of his office or the office of Deputy Chairman is vacant.”; and

(c) by omitting sub-section (4).

Deputies of members

7. Section 13 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (1) the words the Interim Chairman”.

8. (1) Section 14 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted: —

Remuneration and allowances of members and deputies of members.

“14. (1) Subject to sub-section (2), a member or a deputy of a member shall be paid such remuneration as is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.

“(2) The member representing the Commonwealth and the deputy of that member are not entitled to remuneration under sub-section (1) and the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 does not apply to that member or that deputy.

“(3) Subject to the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973, members and deputies of members shall be paid such allowances as are prescribed.

“(4) Payments under this section shall be made out of the funds of the Corporation.”.

(2) The amendment made by sub-section (1) does not affect the remuneration and any annual allowance payable to a member of the Australian Wool Corporation, or to the deputy of such a member, before his remuneration is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.

(3) Regulations in force at the commencement of this section for the purpose of sub-section 14(3) of the Principal Act continue in force as if made for the purpose of sub-section 14(3) of the Principal Act as amended by this Act.

Vacation of office.

9. Section 16 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (6) the words “or Interim Chairman” (wherever occurring).

Meetings

10. Section 19 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (3) the words “or, where there is an Interim Chairman, he is not available to perform the duties of his office,”;

(b) by omitting from sub-section (5) the words “or the Interim Chairman”;

(c) by omitting from sub-section (6) the words “or the Interim Chairman,”; and

(d) by omitting sub-section (10).

Committees.

11. (1) Section 21 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-section (4) and substituting the following sub-sections:—

“(4) A member of a committee shall be paid such remuneration (if any) as is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.

“(4a) Subject to the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973, members of a committee shall be paid such allowances as are prescribed.

“(4b) Payments under sub-section (4) or (4a) shall be made out of—

(a) in the case of a committee referred to in paragraph 70(1)(c)—the Wool Research Trust Fund; or

(b) in any other case—the funds of the Corporation. ”.

(2) The amendment made by sub-section (1) does not affect—

(a) any remuneration payable to a member of a committee before his remuneration is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal; and

(b) any allowances payable to such a member before regulations are made for the purposes of sub-section 21(4a) of the Principal Act as amended by this Act.

12. (1) Section 51 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted: —

Remuneration and allowances of member and deputies of member of Authority.

“51. (1) A member or a deputy of a member shall be paid such remuneration as is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.

“(2) Subject to the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973, members deputies of members shall be paid such allowances as are prescribed.

“(3) Payments under this section shall be made out of the funds of the Corporation. ”.

(2) The amendment made by sub-section (1) does not affect the remuneration payable to a member of the Australian Wool Testing Authority, or to the deputy of such a member, before his remuneration is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.

(3) Regulations in force at the commencement of this section for the purpose of sub-section 51 (3) of the Principal Act continue in force as if made for the purpose of sub-section 51 (2) of the Principal Act as amended by this Act.


Payments to Corporation and Fund.

13. Section 83 of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end of sub-section (2a) the words “and in each succeeding year”.

14. Section 84a of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted: —

Additional payment to Corporation and Fund.

“84a (1) Subject to this section, where an amount has become or becomes payable, under section 83, during the year that commenced on 1 July 1974, the year commencing on 1 July 1975 or the year and to commencing on 1 July 1976, to the Corporation or to the Fund, there is payable during that year to the Corporation or to the Fund, as the case may be, an additional amount determined by the Minister.

“(2) Subject to sub-section (3), the additional amounts determined by the Minister under sub-section (1) shall be such amounts as he thinks necessary—

(a) to provide to the Corporation the moneys required, in addition to moneys received by the Corporation under section 83 and other available income of the Corporation, to meet the expendi­ture of the Corporation (other than expenditure in respect of the purchase of wool) in pursuance of this Act; and

(b) to provide to the Fund the moneys required, in addition to the moneys received by the Fund under section 83 or otherwise, to meet expenditure of the Fund in pursuance of this Act.

“(3) The total of the additional amounts payable to the Corporation and to the Fund during a year referred to in sub-section (1) shall not exceed—

(a) in the case of the year that commenced on 1 July 1974—$22,000,000;

(b) in the case of the year commencing on 1 July 1975—$20,000,000; and

(c)  in the case of the year commencing on 1 July 1976—$21,000,000.”.

 

 

Overview

The Wool Industry Act 1974 (C2004A00123) was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to amend the Wool Industry Act 1972-1973. The primary objective of this Act was to address several issues and gaps within the existing wool industry legislation, particularly focusing on restructuring the governance and financial provisions of the industry. The Wool Industry Act 1974 makes various amendments to the Principal Act, including the removal of the position of Interim Chairman and the modification of the conditions under which the Deputy Chairman and Acting Chairman can perform their duties. Additionally, the Act modifies the remuneration and allowances for members and deputies of the industry, and it specifies the payments to be made to the Corporation and the Fund. The policy objective behind these amendments appears to be to streamline the industry's governance structure, ensure transparent remuneration practices, and provide adequate financial support to meet operational expenditures.

Scope and Application

The Wool Industry Act 1974 amends the Wool Industry Act 1972-1973, applying to entities involved in the management and regulation of the Australian wool industry, including the Australian Wool Corporation and the Australian Wool Testing Authority. This Act applies to individuals in roles such as Chairman, Deputy Chairman, and members of committees within these entities, as well as their deputies. It governs their remuneration, allowances, and the conditions under which they can be appointed or act in their roles. The Act applies nationally across Australia, as it is a Commonwealth Act. There are no specific exclusions or thresholds stated in the text, but the application of remuneration and allowances is subject to determinations by the Remuneration Tribunal and regulations made under the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973. The scope of the Act may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, although specific details of such instruments are not provided in the text.

Key Provisions

The Wool Industry Act 1974 (sections 1 to 14) amends the Wool Industry Act 1972-1973, introducing several significant changes to the governance and administrative structure of the industry. Section 3 removes the definition of "member" and "Interim Chairman" from the Principal Act, while section 4 repeals the role of the Interim Chairman entirely. Section 5 modifies the role of the Deputy Chairman by removing references to the Interim Chairman, clarifying the chain of command within the organisation. Section 6 revises the conditions under which an Acting Chairman can be appointed, specifying that such an appointment can only be made when both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman are unavailable. Section 7 removes references to the Interim Chairman in the context of deputies of members, and section 8 repeals and replaces section 14 of the Principal Act, altering the remuneration and allowances for members and their deputies, subject to the Remuneration Tribunal. These changes impose specific obligations on the parties governed by the Act. For instance, the removal of the Interim Chairman necessitates that the Deputy Chairman step into certain duties in the absence of the Chairman. The amendment to section 6 specifies the conditions for appointing an Acting Chairman, ensuring a clear succession plan. The changes to section 14 redefine the financial entitlements of members and their deputies, mandating that their remuneration and allowances be determined by the Remuneration Tribunal and prescribed respectively, with specific exclusions for certain members. Regarding penalties and consequences for breach, the Act does not explicitly detail offences or penalties within the provided sections. However, given the nature of legislative amendments, non-compliance with these provisions could lead to legal challenges or administrative penalties, depending on the specific circumstances and interpretations by relevant authorities. The Act's amendments focus more on structural and procedural changes rather than punitive measures, but adherence to these new provisions is essential to avoid any legal or operational issues.

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Area of Law
Commercial Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Repeal & Amendment
Remuneration and allowances of members and deputies of members

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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.