Dairy Industry Act Amendment Bill 1969

DAIRY INDUSTRY ACT AMENDMENT BILL

SECOND READING SPEECH

The Hon. D. N. BROOKMAN (Minister of Lands): I move:

That this Bill be now read a second time.

It makes a number of miscellaneous amendments to the principal Act. It removes certain difficulties that have been experienced in prosecutions, under section 22a of the principal Act, for the offence of manufacturing or selling a colourable imitation of milk. It removes an obsolete title from the principal Act. It confines the operation of section 19 of the principal Act, which requires the owner of a factory, milk depot or creamery to pay the supplier according to the grade of the milk or cream, to factories, milk depots or cream- cries which are supplied by two or more suppliers. The provisions of the Bill are as follows:

Clause 1 is formal. Clause 2 inserts a new definition of “milk”. At present milk is defined as including anything that is represented to be milk. this causes difficulty under section 22a of the principal Act which makes it an offence to manufacture or sell a colourable imitation of milk. If “milk” includes anything that is represented to be milk, it is difficult to see how it can be possible to have a colourable imitation of milk. The amendment overcomes this difficulty.

Clause 3 changes certain references in section 7 of the principal Act from “Chief Dairy Adviser” to “Chief Dairy Officer”, which is now the correct title. Clause 4 amends section 19 of the principal Act. This section requires the owner of a factory, milk depot or creamery to grade milk and cream and to pay the supplier according to the grade of the milk or cream and the weight of the butterfat. This provision is not thought to be necessary where there is only one supplier and the section is amended accordingly. Clause 5 amends section 22a of the principal Act to extend its provisions to imitations of goat’s milk.

Mr. CASEY secured the adjournment of the debate.