MEAT EXPORT (ADDITIONAL CHARGE).

No. 2 of 1956.

An Act to impose a Charge upon certain Meat exported to the United Kingdom, and to repeal the Meat Export (Additional Charge) Act 1955.

[Assented to 27th March., 1956.]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Meat Export (Additional Charge) Act 1956.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on the first day of February, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-six.

Repeal.

3. The Meat Export (Additional Charge) Act 1955 is repealed.

Definitions.

4. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

“edible offal” means any edible portion, other than the flesh, of cattle or sheep;

“excess payment”, in relation to a year, means the amount by which deficiency payments by the Board under section five of the Meat Agreement (Deficiency Payments) Act 1955 in respect of that year, together with expenses (including interest charges) incurred by the Board in connexion with those payments, exceed payments by the Government of the United Kingdom to the Government of the Commonwealth under the Meat Agreement referred to in that Act, in respect of that year;

“meat” means beef, veal, mutton, lamb and edible offal, but does not include canned meat;

“the Board” means the Australian Meat Board constituted under the Meat Export Control Act 1935–1953;

“year” means a period of twelve months ending on the thirtieth day of September.

Charge on export of certain meat.

5.—(1.) For the purpose of making good the amount of any excess payment or excess payments made by the Board in respect of a year or years, a charge is imposed and shall be levied and paid on meat exported from the Commonwealth to the United Kingdom,

being meat that was delivered into cold store or cool store on or after the date of commencement of this Act and to which a rate of the charge is applicable under the succeeding provisions of this Act.

(2.) The Minister may, from time to time, by notice published in the Gazette, fix a rate or rates of the charge in respect of such kinds or classes of meat as are specified in the notice.

(3.) A rate fixed by a notice under the last preceding sub-section—

(a) comes into force on a date specified in the notice; and

(b) remains in force up to and including the day next preceding such date as is fixed by the Minister by a later notice published in the Gazette as the date on which that rate shall cease to be in force.

(4.) The rate of the charge applicable to any meat is the rate (if any) fixed by the Minister under this section that was, on the day on which the meat was delivered into cold store or cool store, in force in relation to meat of a kind or class in which the meat is included.

(5.) The Minister shall, as far as he considers it practicable to do so, exercise his powers under this section in such a way that the amount of the excess payment in respect of a year will be made good by the end of the succeeding year.

Recommendations by Board.

6. The Board shall, from time to time, make recommendations to the Minister as to the kinds or classes of meat to which the charge should apply and as to the rates of the charge, and the periods of operation of those rates, that are necessary, in the opinion of the Board, to ensure that the amount of the excess payment in respect of a year will be made good by the end of the succeeding year, and the Minister shall, in exercising his powers under the last preceding section, take those recommendations into consideration.

Charge additional to charge under Meat Export Charge Act 1935–1954.

7. The charge imposed by this Act in respect of any meat is payable in addition to the charge (if any) payable in respect of that meat under the Meat Export Charge Act 1935–1954.

Payment of charge.

8.—(1.) An amount of charge payable under this Act is a debt due to the Commonwealth from the exporter, and amounts so payable shall be paid to such officers in the respective States or in the Northern Territory of Australia as the Minister specifies.

(2.) The charge in respect of any meat shall, if an officer specified by the Minister under this section so requires, be paid before the entry of the meat for export.

Rate of additional charge from 1st February, 1956.

9. Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (4.) of section five of this Act, the rate of one-eighth of one penny per pound is the rate of the charge applicable to meat being first or second quality ox, heifer or cow beef delivered into cold store or cool store on or after the first day of February, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-six, and before such date as is fixed by the Minister, by notice published in the Gazette, as the date on which the rate fixed by this section shall cease to be in force.