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2013-2014
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
2014
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Agriculture
the Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP)
RURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
2014
GENERAL OUTLINE
The Rural Research and Development Legislation Amendment Bill 2014 will make
amendments to rural research and development (R&D) legislation to give effect to a 2014-15
Budget measure. The Bill will also make some additional governance amendments.
The Budget measure allows the government to recover the cost of membership fees to
international commodity organisations and regional fisheries management organisations from
the matching amounts paid to rural research and development corporations (RDCs). The
additional measures remove the requirement for the Minister to organise an annual
co-ordination meeting for the chairs of the statutory RDCs and remove some parliamentary
tabling requirements to reduce regulation.
Background
The RDCs were established in 1989 by the Primary Industries Research and Development
Act 1989 (PIRD Act) to undertake scientific research for the benefit of Australian rural
industries and with benefits flowing to the community and the nation more broadly. There are
currently 15 RDCs--five of these are statutory RDCs governed by the PIRD Act and ten are
industry-owned RDCs, which were created from former statutory RDCs. Most RDCs are able
to undertake marketing activities in addition to their R&D activities, at the request of the
relevant industry.
Most of the RDCs are primarily funded by statutory levies on primary production or
products. The statutory levies for R&D are matched by the Commonwealth, up to a cap. The
funds raised through the statutory levies are appropriated to the RDCs, less the cost of levy
collection.
The government provides matching funding to the RDCs based on their expenditure on
eligible R&D activities. The RDCs are required to submit invoices to the Department of
Agriculture to claim matching funding. Matching funding provided to each RDC is subject to
a cap based on the relevant industry's gross value of production. Funding for the Fisheries
RDC operates differently in some respects. The Fisheries RDC receives funding from state
and territory governments, as well as from levies. The caps on Commonwealth funding are
based on gross value of production, but are calculated differently to those of the other RDCs.
Payment of membership fees to international commodity organisations
The Department of Agriculture currently pays fees for Australian Government membership to
international commodity organisations and regional fisheries management organisations.
These organisations work to improve the trading environment for agricultural products by
funding and co-ordinating R&D, providing information and statistics, setting international
standards, and ensuring ongoing access to fisheries.
Australia's membership of these organisations benefits the industries concerned. The
international commodity organisations deliver industry good-outcomes, such as trading
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standards, research on global issues, and market statistics. The regional fisheries management
organisations facilitate the management of migratory stock and high seas stocks that are
fished by various nations. They inform international fisheries management and stock
assessments.
A 2014-15 Budget measure changes the way that the government will fund the membership
costs. From 2014-15, the government will recover the cost of the memberships from the
matching funding it contributes to relevant RDCs that co-ordinate research for the industry
which benefits the most from the membership. The membership costs will be recovered by
either deducting an equivalent amount from the matching funding paid to the RDCs, or by
requiring the relevant RDC to pay the Commonwealth an amount equal to the membership
fee.
The Department of Agriculture will continue to be responsible for Australia's membership of
the relevant organisations, and for the payment of membership fees.
The Bill amends the PIRD Act, the Sugar Research and Development Services Act 2013 and
the Australian Grape and Wine Authority Act 2013 to allow the government to recover the
cost of the membership fees. Currently, the Australian Government is a member of four
international commodity organisations, relating to the sugar, wine, grains and cotton
industries, and six regional fisheries management organisations. The organisations and RDCs
from which membership fees will be recovered will be specified by a new legislative
instrument.
Removal of requirements for RDCs to table corporate documents
The Rural R&D legislation currently contains different requirements for the preparation and
tabling of certain corporate documents. Some Acts require RDCs to produce certain corporate
documents and, in some cases, table them in the Parliament. For consistency across
industry-owned RDCs, the government has decided that the tabling requirements are an
unnecessary administrative burden for the RDCs and the government, and will be removed.
The following legislation is amended to remove tabling requirements:
The Dairy Produce Act 1986 is amended to remove the tabling requirements for: the
funding contract between the Commonwealth and Dairy Australia Limited; variations
to the funding contract; the annual report; the report on the Dairy Structural
Adjustment Fund and the compliance report (described as `other reports' in section 14
of the Act).
The Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services Act 2007 is
amended to remove the tabling requirements for the funding contract between the
Commonwealth and Forest and Wood Products Australia Limited, and variations to
the funding contract.
The Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 is amended to remove the
tabling requirements for: the funding agreement and variations to the funding
agreement between the Commonwealth and the Australian Livestock Export
Corporation Limited; the annual report and the compliance report of the Australian
Livestock Export Corporation Limited.
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The Sugar Research and Development Services Act 2013 is amended to remove the
tabling requirements for the funding contract between the Commonwealth and Sugar
Research Australia, and variations to the funding contract.
The provisions in the Bill relating to removal of tabling requirements (Part 1 of Schedule 2)
will commence on 1 October 2014. This date is set to remove the obligation to table in
Parliament any relevant reports that have been provided to the Minister after 1 October 2014
(and before the Act receives Royal Assent). The retrospective commencement is intended to
reduce regulatory burden, and will not have prejudicial effects.
The RDCs will still be required to produce these documents and where required make them
publicly available.
Removal of the annual co-ordination meeting requirement
The PIRD Act requires the Minister to organise an annual co-ordination meeting for the
chairs of the statutory RDCs. Only five of the 15 RDCs are statutory bodies, and the
government has decided that other co-ordination mechanisms would be more appropriate. As
such, the PIRD Act will be amended to remove the requirement for an annual co-ordination
meeting.
Consultation
The Department of Agriculture consulted relevant Australian Government agencies in the
development of the Budget measure and this Bill, and consulted the relevant RDCs on the
implementation of the measure following its announcement. An exposure draft of the Bill
was released to the RDCs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT
The proposed amendments are expected to have a positive financial impact on the Australian
Government of approximately $7 million over four years from 2014-15.
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Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
Rural Research and Development Legislation Amendment Bill 2014
This Bill is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the
international instruments listed in section 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.
Overview of the Bill
This Bill implements a 2014 Budget measure and reduces unnecessary regulation imposed on the
rural research and development corporations (RDCs) and the Commonwealth. The Bill directly
affects only the relevant RDCs.
The Budget measure allows the government to deduct the cost of membership fees to international
commodity organisations and regional fisheries management organisations from the matching
amounts paid by the Commonwealth to the relevant RDCs. Australia will continue to be a
member of the organisations for which it currently holds membership, and the Commonwealth
will continue to be responsible for membership and for the payment of membership fees. The Bill
only changes the way that the cost of the membership fees are paid by the Commonwealth.
Additional measures remove the requirement for the Minister for Agriculture to organise an
annual co-ordination meeting for the chairs of the statutory RDCs, and remove requirements for
some RDCs to table documents in Parliament, such as the funding agreement, the annual report,
and other compliance reports. The RDCs will still be required to produce these documents and
where required make them publicly available.
Human rights implications
This Bill does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms. It affects only the relevant
corporations, not individuals.
Conclusion
This Bill is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.
The Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP, Minister for Agriculture
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RURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
2014
NOTES ON ITEMS
Clause 1: Short Title
Clause 1 is a formal provision specifying that the short title of the Act may be cited as the
Rural Research and Development Legislation Amendment Act 2014.
Clause 2: Commencement
Clause 2 provides for the commencement of the Act.
Sections 1 to 3, Schedule 1 (Division 1 of Part 1 and Part 2), and Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the
Act will commence on the day after the Act receives Royal Assent. Schedule 1 (Division 2 of
Part 1) will start the later of the day after the Act receives Royal Assent or the
31 March 2015. This will allow time for the funding agreement between the Commonwealth
and Sugar Research Australia to be varied to incorporate the changes made in the Act. Part 1
of Schedule 2, which removes requirements for the tabling of certain corporate documents,
will commence on 1 October 2014. To reduce regulatory burden, corporate documents
covered by Part 1 of Schedule 2 that are provided to the Minister after 1 October 2014 (but
before the Act has received Royal Assent) will not be required to be tabled in the Parliament.
The retrospective commencement will not have prejudicial effects. The RDCs will still be
required to produce these documents and where required make them publicly available.
Clause 3: Schedules
Clause 3 provides that each Act specified in a schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as
set out in the applicable items of the schedule concerned and that any other item in a schedule
to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1--Contributions to international organisations
Part 1--Amendments
Division 1--Amendments commencing on the day after Royal Assent
Australian Grape and Wine Authority Act 2013
Item 1 Subsection 4(1) - Interpretation
This item inserts references to an international grape and wine organisation, membership
contribution, and membership contribution amounts. These terms are defined in a new
section to the Act (s31L, see item 2, and s37, see item 5).
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Item 2 Before section 32
This item inserts a new section into the Act, before section 32. The new section (31L)
provides definitions of international grape and wine organisation and membership
contribution. Subsection 31L(1) states that an international grape and wine organisation is
an international commodities organisation related to the grape and wine industry. A
membership contribution is the amount that the Commonwealth pays for its membership to
an international grape and wine organisation.
Subsection 31L(2) converts the membership contribution amount, if paid in a foreign
currency, to Australian dollars at the time of payment by the Commonwealth. The amount in
Australian dollars is the membership contribution amount payable by the Authority to the
Commonwealth.
Subsection 31L(3) allows the Minister to determine by legislative instrument which
international commodity organisation is an international grape and wine organisation.
Currently, the international commodity organisation that relates to the grape and wine
industry is the International Organisation of Wine and Vine. There is currently no legislative
instrument that relates to this subsection, and a new legislative instrument will need to be
created.
Item 3 Paragraph 32(ai) - Payments to the Authority
This item amends paragraph 32(ai), which requires the Commonwealth to pay the Authority
matching funds for eligible expenditure, subject to legislated caps. The amendment makes the
payment of matching funds conditional on the Authority paying the membership contribution
amounts, as described at item 5.
Item 4 After paragraph 35(1)(ad) - Application of money of the Authority
This item permits the Authority to spend money to pay the membership contribution amounts
to the Commonwealth.
Item 5 After section 36
A new section (section 37) is inserted into the Act to describe the payment of membership
contribution amounts. It makes the payment of matching funding by the Commonwealth to
the Authority conditional on the Authority's payment of the membership contribution
amount. The membership contribution amount must be paid by the 31 October following the
financial year in which the Commonwealth paid the membership, unless the Minister
approves an extended time period.
Section 37 provides two options for the payment of membership contribution amounts. The
first is for the Authority to make a payment to the Commonwealth of the membership
contribution amount. The second option (subsection 37(4)) allows the Commonwealth to
set-off the membership contribution amount from the matching funding that it provides to the
Authority. Only one of these two options would be used for each membership contribution
amount payable by the Authority, and either would satisfy the condition at subsection 37(2).
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The Commonwealth makes payments during a financial year of matching funding to the
Authority. In practice, the off-set option could be used by the Commonwealth reducing the
matching funding paid to the Authority by the membership contribution amount.
Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989
Item 6 Subsection 4(1) - Definitions
This item inserts references to an international organisation, membership contribution, and
membership contribution amounts. These terms are defined in new sections to the Act
(s29A, see item 7, and s34A, see item 19).
Item 7 Before section 30
This item inserts a new section into the Act, before section 30. The new section (29A)
provides definitions of international organisation and membership contribution. Subsection
29A(1) states that an international organisation is an international commodities organisation,
or a regional fisheries management organisation, related to a primary industry for which an
RDC is established. A membership contribution is the amount that the Commonwealth pays
for its membership to an international organisation.
Subsection 29A(2) converts the membership contribution amount, if paid in a foreign
currency, to Australian dollars at the time of payment by the Commonwealth. The amount in
Australian dollars is the membership contribution amount payable by an RDC to the
Commonwealth.
Subsection 29A(3) allows the Minister to determine by legislative instrument which
international commodity organisations are an international organisation, and specify to
which RDC each international organisation relates. Currently, there are international
commodity organisations for the grains industry (the International Grains Council), the cotton
industry (the International Cotton Advisory Committee), and the sugar industry
(the International Sugar Organization). There are six regional fisheries management
organisations - the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, the
Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, the Western and Central Pacific
Fisheries Commission, the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement, the Indian Ocean
Tuna Commission, and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific. There is
currently no legislative instrument that relates to this subsection, and a new legislative
instrument will need to be created.
Item 8 Paragraph 30(1)(b) - Payments to R&D Corporation--general
This item amends paragraph 30(1)(b), which requires the Commonwealth to pay the RDCs
matching funds for eligible expenditure, subject to legislated caps. The amendment makes the
payment of matching funds conditional on the RDC paying the membership contribution
amounts, where there is an international organisation determined by the Minister in relation
to the RDC.
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Item 9 Paragraph 30(1)(b) - Payments to R&D Corporation--general
This item excludes the membership contribution amount from the RDC expenditure that is
eligible for matching by the Commonwealth.
Item 10 Subsection 30A(2) - Fishing industry payments other than separately
levied fishery payments
This item amends subsection 30A(2), which requires the Commonwealth to pay the Fisheries
RDC matching funds, subject to legislated caps. The amendment makes the payment of
matching funds conditional on the Fisheries RDC paying the membership contribution
amounts, where there are one or more international organisations determined by the Minister
in relation to the Fisheries RDC.
Item 11 Paragraph 30A(2)(a) - Fishing industry payments other than separately
levied fishery payments
This item excludes the membership contribution amount, in relation to the Fisheries RDC,
from the RDC expenditure that is eligible for matching by the Commonwealth.
Item 12 Paragraphs 30A(2)(b) and (c) - Fishing industry payments other than
separately levied fishery payments
This item amends paragraphs 30A(2)(b) and (c). These paragraphs provide matching funding
to Fisheries RDC in relation to levies and State or Territory contributions received by the
RDC.
The payments to Fisheries RDC are described separately to the payments to other RDCs, as
the funding model is different. The Fisheries RDC receives funding from state and territory
governments, as well as from levies. The Commonwealth funding provided to Fisheries RDC
is described in paragraph 30A(2)(b) (and 30B(3)(b) for separately levied fisheries). Each
paragraph in this section provides an amount of Commonwealth funding, up to a cap based
on gross value of production (GVP).
In paragraphs (b) and (c), the matching funding provided is limited by one of two types cap,
which are calculated based on gross value of production. Unlike other RDCs, the type of
GVP cap applied to this funding is determined by the amount of expenditure of Fisheries
RDC. The amendment ensures that the payment of membership contribution amounts by the
Fisheries RDC will not affect the type of GVP cap that is applied to these payments. The
amendment will not make the membership contribution amounts eligible for matching.
Item 13 Paragraph 30A(2)(d) - Fishing industry payments other than separately
levied fishery payments
This item is a technical amendment to correct a drafting error in the Act.
Item 14 Subsection 30B(3) - Separately levied fishery payments
This item amends subsection 30B(3), which requires the Commonwealth to pay the Fisheries
RDC matching funds in relation to a separately levied fishery, subject to legislated caps. The
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amendment makes the payment of matching funds conditional on the Fisheries RDC paying
the membership contribution amounts. There are currently no fisheries industries that have
been declared as separately levied fisheries. This item would apply where the regulations
declare that there is a separately levied fishery, and where there are one or more international
organisations determined by the Minister in relation to that separately levied fishery.
Item 15 Paragraph 30B(3)(a) - Separately levied fishery payments
This item excludes the membership contribution amount, in relation to a separately levied
fishery, from the RDC expenditure that is eligible for matching by the Commonwealth.
Item 16 Paragraph 30B(3)(b) - Separately levied fishery payments
This item amends paragraph 30B(3)(b), which provides matching funding to Fisheries RDC
in relation to levies collected on a separately levied fishery. The matching funding provided
is limited by one of two types cap, which are calculated based on gross value of production
(GVP). The type of GVP cap applied to this funding is determined by the amount of
expenditure of Fisheries RDC in relation to the separately levied fishery. The amendment
ensures that the payment of membership contribution amounts by the Fisheries RDC will not
affect the type of GVP cap that is applied to this funding. The amendment will not make the
membership contribution amounts eligible for matching.
Item 17 Paragraph 32(1A)(a) - Retention limit for Commonwealth's matching
payments
This item is a technical amendment to correct a drafting error in the Act.
Item 18 After paragraph 33(1)(d) - Expenditure of money of R&D Corporation
This item permits the RDCs to spend money to pay the membership contribution amounts to
the Commonwealth.
Item 19 After section 34
This item inserts a new section (section 34A) into the Act to describe the payment of
membership contribution amounts. The payment of matching funding by the Commonwealth
to an RDC is conditional on the payment of the membership contribution amount, if the
Minister has determined that there is an international organisation in relation to that RDC.
The membership contribution amount must be paid by the 31 October following the financial
year in which the Commonwealth paid the membership, unless the Minister approves an
extended time period.
Section 34A provides two options for the payment of membership contribution amounts. The
first is for an RDC to make a payment to the Commonwealth of the membership contribution
amount. The second option (subsection 34A(5)) allows the Commonwealth to set-off the
membership contribution amount from the matching funding that it provides to the relevant
RDC. Only one of these two options would be used for each membership contribution
amount payable by an RDC, and either would satisfy the condition at subsection 34A(3).
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The Commonwealth makes payments during a financial year of matching funding to the
RDCs. In practice, the off-set option could be used by the Commonwealth reducing the
matching funding paid to an RDC by the membership contribution amounts.
Division 2--Amendments commencing on the later of the day after Royal
Assent and 31 March 2015
Sugar Research and Development Services Act 2013
Item 20 Section 4 - Definitions
This item inserts a reference to an international sugar organisation, which is defined in a
new section of the Act (s5A, see item 24).
Item 21 Section 4 (paragraph (c) of the definition of matching amounts)
This item is a technical amendment to correct an error in the Act. It changes a reference to
`regulations' to a reference to `rules'. Section 14 of the Act provides for rules to be made,
rather than regulations.
Item 22 Section 4 - Definitions
This item inserts a reference to a membership contribution, which is defined in a new section
of the Act (s5A, see item 24).
Item 23 Section 5 - Simplified outline of this Part (Part 2--Funding contract)
This item amends the simplified outline for Part 2 of the Act. The simplified outline explains
the types of payments that the Commonwealth makes to the industry services body (currently
Sugar Research Australia). Paragraph (a) of matching payments outlines the activities on
which the industry services body can spend the matching funding it receives from the
Commonwealth. This paragraph is amended to reflect the additional type of payment that the
industry services body can make to the Commonwealth (i.e. membership contribution
amounts).
Item 24 After section 5
A new section is inserted into the Act, after section 5. The new section (5A) provides
definitions of international sugar organisation and membership contribution. Subsection
5A(1) states that an international sugar organisation is an international commodities
organisation related to the sugar industry, and that it must be specified in the funding contract
between the industry services body and the Commonwealth. A membership contribution is
the amount that the Commonwealth pays for its membership to an international sugar
organisation.
Subsection 5A(2) converts the membership contribution amount, if paid in a foreign
currency, to Australian dollars at the time of payment by the Commonwealth. The amount in
Australian dollars is the membership contribution amount payable by the industry services
body to the Commonwealth, if an international sugar organisation is specified in the funding
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contract. Currently, the international commodity organisation that relates to the sugar
industry is the International Sugar Organization.
Item 25 After subparagraph 6(2)(b)(i) - Funding contract
Subsection 6(2) of the Act describes the provisions that must be covered in a funding contract
between the industry services body and the Commonwealth. An additional subparagraph
(6(2)(b)(ia)) is inserted to ensure that the funding contract provides for the industry services
body to spend matching funds on payments to the Commonwealth of membership
contribution amounts.
Item 26 After paragraph 6(2)(b) - Funding contract
Two new paragraphs (ba) and (bb) are inserted into the subsection 6(2). Paragraph (ba)
ensures that the funding contract between the industry services body and the Commonwealth
makes the payment of matching funds conditional on the industry services body paying to the
Commonwealth an amount equivalent to the membership contribution paid by the
Commonwealth to an international sugar organisation.
Paragraph (bb) allows the Commonwealth to off-set the membership contribution amount
from the matching funding that it provides to the industry services body. The Commonwealth
makes payments during a financial year of matching funding to Sugar Research Australia.
This paragraph allows the Commonwealth to reduce the amount of matching funding
provided by the membership contribution amount, rather than Sugar Research Australia
making a payment to the Commonwealth of the membership contribution amount.
Item 27 Subsection 7(3A) - Appropriation for payments under funding contract
etc.
This item is a technical amendment to correct an error in the Act. It changes a reference to
`regulations' to a reference to `rules'. Section 14 of the Act provides for rules to be made,
rather than regulations.
Part 2--Application of amendments
Items 28-30 Amendments of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority Act 2013, the
Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989 and the Sugar
Research and Development Act 2013
These items allow the amendments in Division 1 of Part 1 to apply in the 2014-15 financial
year, and later financial years. Membership contributions paid by the Commonwealth from
1 July 2014 onwards will be able to be recovered from relevant RDCs.
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Schedule 2--Deregulation amendments
Part 1--Amendments commencing on 1 October 2014
Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997
Item 1 Division 4 of Part 3 - Reporting to Parliament in relation to live-stock
export bodies
Division 4 of Part 3 of the Act is repealed to remove requirements for the Minister to table in
Parliament certain documents of the live-stock export body (currently the Australian
Livestock Export Corporation Limited). The documents that will no longer need to be tabled
are the funding agreement between the Commonwealth and the live-stock export body, and
variations to the funding agreement; the report on compliance with the funding agreement;
and the annual report. The live-stock export body will still be required to produce these
documents and, where required, make them publicly available or available to members. The
information required in the compliance report is available in other reports prepared by the
live-stock export body, such as the annual report.
Dairy Produce Act 1986
Item 2 Subsections 5(6) and 5(7) - Funding contract
Subsections 5(6) and 5(7) of the Act are repealed to remove the requirement for the Minister
to table in Parliament the funding contract between the Commonwealth and the industry
services body (currently Dairy Australia Limited), and variations to the funding contract. The
industry services body will still be required to make the funding contract publicly available.
Item 3 Subsection 13(2) - Tabling of financial reports
Subsection 13(2) of the Act is repealed to remove the requirement for the Minister to table in
Parliament the annual report (referred to as a financial report in the Act) of the industry
services body. The industry services body will still be required to provide the annual report to
the Minister and make it publicly available.
Item 4 Section 14 - Other reports
Section 14 of the Act is repealed to remove the requirement for the Minister to table in
Parliament a report, following the annual general meeting of the industry services body, in
relation to the year before the meeting. The information required to be in this report is
available in other reports produced by the industry services body, such as the annual report.
Item 5 Subclause 79C(1) of Schedule 2 - Report to Minister
Subclause 79C of Schedule 2 is re-numbered.
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Item 6 Subclause 79C(2) of Schedule 2 - Report to Minister
Subclause 79C(2) is repealed to remove the requirement for the Minister to table in
Parliament the report on the administration of the Dairy Structural Adjustment Fund (DSAF).
This report is no longer produced as the DSAF wound up in July 2009, the Australian
Government Department of Agriculture now handles any administrative matters that arise in
relation to DSAF.
Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services Act 2007
Item 7 Subsections 8(6) and 8(7) - Funding contract
Subsections 8(6) and 8(7) of the Act are repealed to remove the requirement for the Minister
to table in Parliament the funding contract between the Commonwealth and the industry
services body (currently Forest and Wood Products Australia Limited), and variations to the
funding contract. The industry services body will still be required to make the funding
contract publicly available.
Sugar Research and Development Services Act 2013
Item 8 Subsections 6(6) and 6(7) - Funding contract
Subsections 6(6) and 6(7) of the Act are repealed to remove the requirement for the Minister
to table in Parliament the funding contract between the Commonwealth and the industry
services body (currently Sugar Research Australia Limited), and variations to the funding
contract. The industry services body will still be required to make the funding contract
publicly available.
Part 2--Amendments commencing on the day after Royal Assent
Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989
Item 9 Section 142 - Co-ordination meetings
Section 142 is repealed to remove the requirement for yearly co-ordination meetings between
the statutory RDCs to be held. This requirement is removed because, of the 15 RDCs, only
5 are statutory corporations to which the requirement would apply. The government considers
that regular meetings currently held by the Council of Research and Development
Corporations with the chairs of all 15 RDCs more appropriately fulfils this function.
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