Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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EXPORT INSPECTION AND MEAT (ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION CHARGES) REGULATIONS(AMENDMENT) 1997 NO. 360

STATUTORY RULES 1997 No. 360

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy

Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Act 1985

Export Inspection and Meat (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations (Amendment)

Section 9 of the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) 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 (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations (the Regulations) prescribe establishment classifications and rates of charge imposed. by the Act. Export establishments are classified into meat and non-meat categories. Meat establishments are classified into categories of storing, slaughtering, boning, casings or processing plants depending on the type of activity that is undertaken. Non-meat establishments incorporate fish, dairy, dried fruit, and plant commodities and, as with meat, are classified into categories.

The purpose of the proposed Export Inspection and Meat (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations (Amendment) is to amend the existing rates of charge for registration of export establishments related to fish or fish products.

The increases in the registration charge rates for the Export Fish Inspection Program are required to enable export inspection costs to be fully recovered in the 1997/98 financial year.

Industry has endorsed the fee increases in recognition of the recommendations of the Nairn Report on Quarantine Inspection and the Macdonald Review of the Meat Inspection Program which specified that there is to be no cross-subsidisation of costs between inspection programs within the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. As a result, both direct and indirect costs related to export fish inspection must be fully recovered by the program.

The Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations (Amendment) amends the Regulations as follows:

Regulation 1 - Commencement

Subregulation 1.1 provides that the Regulations as amended will commence on 16 December 1997.

Regulation 2 - Amendment

Subregulation 2.1 provides that the Regulations are amended as set out in the Export Inspection and Meat (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations (Amendment).

Regulation 3 - (Imposition of Charge)

Subregulation 3.1 includes fish products as a new prescribed commodity for the purposes of subsection 6 (1) of the Act. (Subsection 6 (1) of the Act provides for the imposition of registration charges for prescribed commodities in the Regulations).

Subregulation 3.2 provides for an addition to the prescribed commodities related to application for export registration or transfer of registration to include establishments dealing in fish products.

Regulation 4 - (Registration Charges for non-meat establishments)

Subregulation 4.1 provides for a separation of charges for registration of storage establishments for fish and fish products from those for dried fruit- and dairy establishments. These charges were previously equivalent for the three types of establishment.

Subregulation 4.2 provides for an increase to the annual registration charge applicable to establishments that store fish or fish products from $800 to $1000.

Subregulation 4.3 provides for an increase to the annual registration charge applicable to establishments that freeze fish or fish products from $900 to $1350.

Subregulation 4.4 provides for an increase 'to the annual registration charge applicable to establishments that are vessels less than 15 meters at the waterline and process or pack fish or fish products from $980 to $1350.

Subregulation 4.5 provides for an increase to the annual registration charge applicable to establishments that are vessels more than 15 meters at the waterline and process or pack fish or fish products from $1080 to $1550.

Subregulation 4.6 omits references to classes of establishment referred to in the Regulations.

Subregulation 4.7 provides for an increase in the annual registration charge applicable to any other fish or fish product establishment that is not specified in the Schedule from $480 to $1000.