Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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RURAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1995 NO. 102

STATUTORY RULES 1995 No. 102

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

Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Regulations (Amendment)

Section 149 of the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989 (the Act) provides for the Governor-General to make regulations, not inconsistent with the Act prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed, or necessary to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Regulations (the Regulations) are established under the Act to facilitate research and development activities on behalf of industries defined in section 3 of the Regulations.

The Task Force of the Budget Review of Rural Research and Development questioned whether the budgets of the research and development Councils are sufficient to implement optimal research management and administrative arrangements.

The Task Force recommended that "DPIE and, as appropriate, the Minister initiate discussions with the relevant industries with a view to exploring alternative options to the current Council arrangements, while maintaining the current level of industry involvement and responsibility".

Consequently, the Chicken Meat Research and Development Council and the Egg Industry Research and Development Council, which are established by regulations under the Act have been terminated and the research and development functions of each industry are now established under the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

The Australian Chicken Meat Federation and the Australian Egg Industry Association, the acknowledged representative industry organisations for the chicken meat and egg industries respectively, have written to the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy supporting the proposed change in the research and development administrative arrangements. Both representative industry organisations have negotiated with the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation for the establishment of chicken meat and egg industry advisory committees under the Corporation having composition, functions and responsibilities similar to the Chicken Meat and Research and Development Council and the Egg Industry Research and Development Council.

The new arrangements offer a simplified structure under which the existing research and development program of the research and development Councils can be maintained along with existing levels of industry responsibility and involvement in the program. Significant cost savings can be achieved under the proposed arrangements effectively maximising industry levy funds available for research and development activities.

Regulation 1 provides for a commencement date of 1 July 1995.

Regulation 2 provides for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation regulations to be amended.

Regulation 3 defines the meat chicken industry and provides for the payment of levy collected for research and development purposes in accordance with the Meat Chicken Levy Act 1969 to be paid to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; requires the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation to maintain separate accounting records for the meat chicken industry and details the recording of transactions for the meat chicken industry.

Regulation 3 also defines the egg industry and provides for the payment of levy collected for research and development purposes in accordance with the Laying Chicken Levy Act 1988 to be paid to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; requires the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation to maintain separate accounting records for the egg industry and details the recording of transactions for the egg industry.