News
Exporters support dairy cattle charge
THE Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) has welcomed formal industry support for the implementation of a new statutory dairy cattle export charge.
The statutory charge will be collected by the Commonwealth to allow industry service provider LiveCorp to deliver technical support for dairy cattle export supply chains and fund RD&E programs specific to Australia’s dairy cattle trade which is worth almost $130 million annually.
The statutory charge will ensure LiveCorp is adequately resourced to administer programs to enhance the productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of Australia’s dairy cattle export industry.
At ALEC's 2017 Annual General Meeting in Perth, exporter members resolved to proceed with an industry ballot proposing a rate of $6 per head, in accordance with the Australian Government’s Levy Principles and Guidelines.
Livestock exporters were subsequently invited to register to vote on the statutory charge in a ballot which closed on December 18, 2017. The ballot demonstrated emphatic industry support for the new statutory charge, with 80 per cent of registered exporters voting in favour of the reform.
LiveCorp and the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) have now been advised of industry’s strong endorsement for the new statutory charge.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has written to ALEC requesting that an Objection Period now commence to ensure all charge payers and interested stakeholders have an opportunity to express their views on the final proposal (a PDF copy of which is available below).
The objection period, commencing on Friday October 5, will conclude on Friday November 16.
ALEC invites exporters and other stakeholders to provide feedback regarding the final proposal. Objections must be sent to ceo@livexcouncil.com.au by Friday November 16. To discuss the final proposal or how to provide feedback, please contact ALEC on 02 6269 5692.
Following the six-week objection period, ALEC will address each objection and prepare a summary for the Minister, outlining the feedback received and its responses to any objections received.
The final version of the submission is available here:
Final_Proposal_Dairy_Cattle_Export_Charge_28_May_2018_FINAL.pdf