WARNING:
This Digest is prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments.
This Digest was available from 19 July 1996
CONTENTS
Australian Animal Health Council (Live-stock Industries)
Funding Bill 1996
Date Introduced: 26 June 1996
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Primary Industries and Energy
Commencement: Royal Assent
To require the Commonwealth to pay specified amounts of levy and
charge it has collected on behalf of the beef, sheep meat, egg,
chicken meat and pork industries to the unlisted public company,
Australian Animal Health Council Limited.
The Bill forms part of a package of eight Bills aimed at
directing funds to the Australian Animal Health Council Ltd. The
other Bills in this package set the operative and maximum rates of
levy or charge for the purpose of funding AAHC Limited.
Australian Animal Health Council Limited
Australian Animal Health Council Limited (AAHC Limited) is an
unlisted public company limited by guarantee. AAHC Limited was
established following agreement on 18 August 1995 by the
Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New
Zealand (ARMCANZ).
The objects of AAHC Limited, as specified in its Memorandum of
Association, include to:
- assist the Australian animal health service system in
maintaining acceptable national animal health standards aimed at
meeting consumer needs and market requirements at home and
overseas;
- advise and advocate action to industry and government on:
(i) strategic national animal health priorities;
(ii) animal health system delivery arrangements and
resources;
(iii) nationally consistent animal health policy;
- establish and manage a national animal health information
system;
- develop, manage and evaluate national animal health
programs;
- have an involvement in residue related issues as they relate to
animal health and impact on commercial performances;
- have international status as the national animal health policy
and advisory body;
- undertake commissioned animal health service projects; and
- arrange for, or to assist in, research and development into
matters pertaining to animal health.
The Articles of Association of AAHC Limited provide that there
are three different groups of members of the company, each with
equal status. These are the Commonwealth, the State and Territories
and industry organisations. Industry organisations include the
Australian Chicken Meat Federation, Australian Egg Industry
Association, Australian Dairy Farmers' Federation, Australian
Veterinary Association Limited, Cattle Council of Australia, Pork
Council of Australia Limited, Sheepmeat Council of Australia,
Australian Horse Council and Wool Council of Australia.
With respect to funding of AAHC Limited activities, funding will
be in three broad groupings. Administration and Operation of AAHC
along with Key National Animal Health Programs will be covered by
core funding and other National Animal Health Programs will have
alternate funding arrangements to be determined on a case by case
basis.(1) Administration and Operations will be funded to an amount
of $840,000 with a sharing of this amount on a one third each basis
by the Commonwealth, States, Territories and industry.(2)
The Key National Animal Health Programs, which are intended to
address the national information system and national preparedness
with respect to animal diseases, will be financed to an amount of
$900,000 for 1995-96 on the same shared basis as for administration
and operations.(3) The Key National Animal Health Programs are
intended to be the basis for implementing AAHC policy and strategy
and addressing relevant national issues. They are intended to each
have specific objectives, time frames, performance targets, funding
and fund sharing arrangements.
Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness Consultative
Council
The functions of the Exotic Animal Diseases Preparedness
Consultative Council (EXANDIS) are being subsumed into the
Australian Animal Health Council. All provisions of the Exotic
Animal Disease Control Act 1989, which established EXANDIS,
ceased to have effect on 31 December 1995. The statutory functions
of EXANDIS included to inquire into, assess, and report to the
Minister on:
- the adequacy of the strategies and procedures provided in any
approved veterinary emergency plan, particularly in relation to
planning, implementation, training, plant and equipment; and
- the social and economic effects of exotic animal disease
outbreaks, and principles concerning rehabilitation and
compensation.
EXANDIS was funded by the EXANDIS component of levies on laying
chickens, live-stock, chicken meat, pig meat, goat meat, milk and
wool. The Commonwealth matched industry contributions on a
dollar-for-dollar basis.
EXANDIS Recommendations To AAHC Limited
In its final Annual Report EXANDIS urged government and industry
to maintain through AAHC Limited a high level of continued activity
aimed at protecting Australia against exotic animal diseases and
preparing for any outbreaks. EXANDIS considered that the greatest
exotic animal disease threats to Australia are foot and mouth
disease, Newcastle disease, bluetongue and classical swine
fever.
EXANDIS made a number of recommendations to AAHC Limited,
including.
- AAHC Limited should define the field and laboratory services
needed to detect an exotic animal disease and respond quickly and
effectively to an outbreak.
- AAHC Limited should define the mix of public and private
services, the role of industry in managing disease outbreaks and
how these should be audited and reviewed to ensure they comply with
domestic and international standards.
- AAHC Limited continue the national disease watch hotline to
facilitate reporting and investigation of any unusual animal
incidents and all States and Territories ensure resources are made
available to enable this service to continue;
- AAHC Limited and Commonwealth and State governments recognise
the current deficiency of epidemiological data needed for an
effective disease surveillance system;
- AAHC Limited include in future national animal health policy
development, the development of management and funding options to
enable formation of national animal health emergency task forces
which can be put in place and used very quickly for a range of
animal health and veterinary public health emergencies; and
AAHC Limited recommend that training of Aboriginal people and
Torres Strait Islanders in exotic animal disease awareness be
incorporated into other training programs being conducted by the
Department of Employment, Education and Training and the Department
of Health.(4)
Clauses 4 and 5 require the Commonwealth to pay
the Australian Animal Health Council Limited amounts from the
Consolidated Revenue Fund equal to what it has collected from the
Australian Animal Health Council levy after 1 July 1996 or as
penalty for non-payment of levy.
The term Australian Animal Health Council levy is defined by
clause 3 to mean a levy or charge the rate of
which is set out in the Acts and provisions specified in the table
attaching to the definition.
Remarks
While the provisions of this Bill are of a non controversial
technical nature, the use of a non statutory corporation as a
disbursement vehicle for public and private funds differs from the
more traditional statutory disbursement vehicle in a number of
respects, including:
- the AAHC is not required to prepare an annual report which must
be tabled in Parliament;
- the AAHC is not subject to the Audit Act 1901;
and
- it is unclear whether the AAHC is subject to the Senate
Estimates process.
(1) Implementation of an Australian Animal Health Council
(AAHC) - A Report to Agriculture and Resource Management Council of
Australia and New Zealand on the Coordination of Animal Health
Services in Australia, Executive Summary, July 1995, p. 2.
(2) Ibid.
(3) Ibid., at p. 3.
(4) Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness Consultative Council,
Final Report and Annual Report 1994-95, pp. 14-17.
Ian Ireland Ph. 06 277 2438
18 July 1996
Bills Digest Service
Parliamentary Research Service
This Digest does not have any official legal status. Other
sources should be consulted to determine whether the Bill has been
enacted and, if so, whether the subsequent Act reflects further
amendments.
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the public.
ISSN 1323-9032
© Commonwealth of Australia 1996
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Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library,
1996.
This page was prepared by the Parliamentary Library,
Commonwealth of Australia
Last updated: 12 July 1996
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