Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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HONEY EXPORT CHARGE (RATE OF CHARGE) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1991 NO. 407

STATUTORY RULES 1991 No. 407

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

Honey Export Charge Act 1973

Honey Export Charge (Rate of Charge) Regulations (Amendment)

Section 9 of the Honey Export Charge Act 1973 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of section 6 and 7 of the Act.

The Act imposes a charge on Honey that is exported from Australia. The charge has two components. The component referred to in paragraph 7(1)(b) of the Act is, by virtue of the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989, designated for research and development funding.

Under paragraph 7(1)(b) of the Act, the rate of charge for research and development purposes may be varied, by regulation, from 0.25 cent up to a maximum of 0.75 cent per kilogram of honey. The present prescribed rate is 0.50 cent.

Subsection 7(3) of the Act provides that before making regulations for the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(b) the Governor-General shall take into consideration any recommendation made to the Minister by the Honeybee Research and Development Council or by the producers' organisation.

The Federal Council of Australian Apiarists' Associations, the producers' organisation, has recommended to the Minister an increase in the operative rate of charge for research and development purposes from 0.50 cent to 0.52 cent per kilogram of honey.

The recommendation is in accordance with the Government's objective of encouraging rural industries to increase their contributions for research and development.