Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]

GRAPE RESEARCH LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1991 NO. 144

STATUTORY RULES 1991 No. 144

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

GRAPE RESEARCH LEVY ACT 1986

GRAPE RESEARCH LEVY REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)

The Grape Research Levy Act 1986 (the Act) imposes a levy on Australian grapes and Australian grape juice delivered to processing establishments (normally wineries). The levy finances a research scheme for the grape industry. Administrative and organisational arrangements for the scheme are provided under the Rural Industries Research Act 1985.

Subsection 7(2) of the Act provides that the operational rate of levy may be varied up to a level not exceeding $2 per tonne of grapes or the equivalent for grape juice. The purpose of the amendments is to increase the operational rate of levy from 50 cents per tonne of leviable goods to 90 cents per tonne.

Subsection 10(2) of the Act provides that before making regulations for the purpose of subsection 7(2), the Governor-General shall take into consideration any relevant recommendation made to the Minister by a representative organisation. Both the Australian Winemakers' Federation Incorporated and the Winegrape Growers' Council of Australia Incorporated have supported the levy increase. The levy is to be paid to the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC). The Commonwealth matches the expenditure of industry monies by the GWRDC on a dollar for dollar basis up to a maximum level of 0.5% of the average gross value of production of grapes for a financial year.