Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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PRIMARY INDUSTRIES LEVIES AND CHARGES (NATIONAL RESIDUE SURVEY LEVIES) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2001 (NO. 2) 2001 NO. 136

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

STATUTORY RULES 2001 No. 136

Issued by Authority of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

National Residue Survey (Customs) Levy Act 1998

Primary Industries Levies and Charges (National Residue Survey Levies) Amendment Regulations 2001 (No. 2)

Section 8 of the National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Act 1998 provides that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters required or permitted to be prescribed by the Act, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.

The purpose of the regulations is to reduce the National Residue Survey Levy on the export of aquatic animal and aquatic animal products produced in Australia from $0.01 per kilogram to $0.00 per kilogram.

The National Residue Survey implements chemical residue monitoring programs and recovers the costs of the programs from participating industries. These programs form the basis for documentation that enables the Australian Government to certify that raw food products bound for export and domestic consumption are free from significant chemical contamination.

The NRS has monitored residues in wild caught seafood and a limited range of aquaculture commodities from 1998 to the present. The main purpose has been to generate data for export certification, and to meet EU requirements in relation to aquaculture to that market.

An independent review was commissioned by the Seafood Exporters Consultative Committee on the requirements for residue monitoring of fisheries and aquaculture products after the first three years operation of the program. The review recommended a reduction in the level of monitoring for wild caught seafood, as adequate data is now available that demonstrates residue levels in wild caught seafood are generally acceptable. The review also recommended increased monitoring of aquaculture commodities because of the higher risk of residues.

These recommendations have now been accepted. The industry proposal for the operative rate of levy to be reduced to $0.00 by regulation has also been accepted. The current reserves attributable to the wild caught sector will be used to fund monitoring of wild caught seafood over the next 3 years. Monitoring of aquaculture products is to be funded through a separate arrangement yet to be decided.

The levy reduction has been agreed to in a survey of all levy payers in accordance with the Government's stated 'Levy Principles and Guidelines'.

The regulations will commence on 1 July 2001.


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