1996

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

SENATE

LIVE-STOCK SLAUGHTER LEVY AMENDMENT (AAHC) BILL 1996

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

(Circulated by the authority of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy,
The Hon John Anderson MP)

THIS MEMORANDUM TAKES ACCOUNT OF AMENDMENTS MADE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE BILL AS INTRODUCED

78864  Cat. No. 96 5104 7  ISBN 0644 478845

LIVE-STOCK SLAUGHTER LEVY AMENDMENT (AAHC) BILL 1996

GENERAL OUTLINE

1.	The purpose of this Bill is to allow for amounts raised under the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964  to be paid to the Australian Animal Health Council.  It sets a maximum levy rate of 2 cents per head on all sheep and lambs slaughtered.

FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT

2.	Payments to the Australian Animal Health Council Limited will be drawn from the levy arrangements established by the Bill and have no impact on the Commonwealth Budget.

NOTES ON INDIVIDUAL CLAUSES

Clause 1	-	Short Title

3.	This clause provides for the Act to be called the Live-Stock Slaughter Amendment (AAHC) Act 1996.

Clause 2	-	Commencement

4.	This clause provides for the Act to come into effect on the day it receives Royal Assent. 

Clause 3	-	Schedules

5.	This clause provides that the Act referred to in the schedule is amended as set out in the Schedule and the other items in the Schedule have effect according to their terms. 

SCHEDULE 1- Amendment of the Live-stock Slaughter Levy Act 1964

Item 1:	Subsection 4(1)

6.	This subsection explains that AAHC means the Australian Animal Health Council Ltd. 

Item 2:	At the end of section 6A

7.	This proposed amendment inserts paragraph 6A(d) which provides for an operative rate of 0.33 cents per head and a maximum rate of levy of 2 cents per head for payment to the AAHC. 

Item 3:	At the end of section 6B

8.	This proposed amendment inserts paragraph 6A(d) which provides for an operative rate of 0.33 cents per head and a maximum rate of levy of 2 cents per head for payment to the AAHC. 

Item 4:	Subsection 8(2)

9.	This clause repeals subsection 8(2) and substitutes a new subsection to exclude the Australian Animal Health Council levy rates which the Governor-General may prescribe by making regulations on the basis of recommendations made by the Meat Industry Council.

Item 5:	At the end of section 8

10. 	This adds subsection 8(5) and 8(6) to provide that the Governor-General must take into consideration any recommendation about the amount of levy made by the body that has been declared as the representative body of the industry.  It also allows the Minister to declare a body by a notice in the Gazette as the representative body.

Item 6:	Application

11.	This item provides for the levy charges in the Bill to come into effect on the first day of the month following a period of 30 days after the Act commences.