EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 

Select Legislative Instrument 2007 No. 279

 

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

 

Export Inspection and Meat Charges Collection Act 1985

 

Export Inspection and Meat Charges Collection Amendment Regulations 2007 (No. 1)

 

 

Section 17 of the Export Inspection and Meat Charges Collection Act 1985 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with the Act, prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.

The Export Inspection and Meat Charges Collection Regulations 1985 (the Principal Regulations) make provision for the collection of charges imposed by the Export Inspection and Meat (Establishment Registration Charges) Act 1985, the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Act 1985 the Export Inspection (Quantity Charge) Act 1985 and the Domestic Meat Premises Charge Act 1993.

The purpose of the Export Inspection and Meat Charges Collection Amendment Regulations 2007 (No. 1) (the Amendment Regulations) is to make changes as a consequence of the amendments to the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations 1985 and the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations 1985.

The Principal Regulations are one of three sets of Regulations that are affected by the decision of the Dairy Export Program (the Program) of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to remove dairy charges from the Regulations and place them in the Export Control (Fees) Orders 2001 (the Fees Orders). The other Regulations amended are the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations 1985 and the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations 1985.

The purpose of the Amendment Regulations is to make amendments as a consequence of the relocation of dairy charges to the Fees Orders and to also make various minor and technical amendments to update the Principal Regulations in terms of plain English, consistency and current drafting practice, and to fix errors and update references in the text of the Principal Regulations.

The Program has consulted with the Dairy Export Industry Consultative Committee (DEICC) about these changes. DEICC consists of representatives of registered establishments, exporters, State Regulatory Authorities, Dairy Australia and AQIS. DEICC has no objections to these amendments.

Details of the Amendment Regulations are set out below.

The Amendment Regulations are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

The Amendment Regulations commence on 1 July 2008.

Regulation 1 provides that the Amendment Regulations are named the Export Inspection and Meat Charges Collection Amendment Regulations 2007 (No. 1).

Regulation 2 provides that the Amendment Regulations commence on 1 July 2008.

Regulation 3 provides that Schedule 1 amends the Export Inspection and Meat Charges Regulations 1985.

Schedule 1 Amendments

Items 1 to 4. These items make minor and technical changes to the Principal Regulations. In particular, they update the Principal Regulations in terms of plain English, consistency and current drafting practice, and to fix errors and update references in the text of the Principal Regulations.

Items 5 and 6. These items update the Principal Regulations as a consequence of the amendments made to the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations 1985 and the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations 1985. In particular, as a result of the removal of dairy charges from the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations 1985, the Principal Regulations apply only to the collection of charges for meat establishments and establishments relating to fish and fish products. Items 5 and 6 have the effect of narrowing the scope of the Principal Regulations accordingly.

Items 7 to 16. These items make minor and technical changes to the Principal Regulations. In particular, they update the Principal Regulations in terms of plain English, consistency and current drafting practice, and to fix errors and update references in the text of the Principal Regulations.