DAIRY INDUSTRY ACT AMENDMENT BILL

SECOND READING SPEECH

The Hon. T. M. CASEY (Minister of Agriculture) obtained leave and introduced a Bill for an Act to amend the Dairy Industry Act, 1928-1973. Read a first time.

The Hon. T. M. CASEY: I move:

That this Bill be now read a second time.

It is the first of three measures intended to enable a new dairy product “dairy blend” to be lawfully marketed in this State. This new foodstuff, in broad terms, consists of an admixture of milk fat in the form of cream and vegetable oils. The product has the flavour and nutritious value of butter but, because it is easier to spread, it appears likely to have a wide public acceptance.

Honourable members will be aware that for a number of years the legislation of this State and indeed of all the States of Australia has had the effect of prohibiting the addition of vegetable oils to butter. It is in the context of this legislative framework that appropriate amendments must be made to permit the marketing of this product which, incidentally, was developed in the Agriculture Department’s Northfield laboratories. This Bill amends the principal Act (the Dairy Industry Act, l928, as amended). and the contents of this measure can be best considered by an examination of its clauses.

Clause 1 is formal. Clause 2 provides for the Act to come into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation. This clause is most important, as all the amending Bills giving effect to the scheme must necessarily come into operation on the same day. Clause 3 amends section 4 of the principal Act by inserting a definition of “dairy blend”, and I commend this definition to members’ closest attention. So far as possible, the definition of ‘dairy blend” is to be uniform throughout the States of Australia. The manifest advantages of this approach are, I suggest, obvious. In addition, by an amendment to this section, dairy blend is included in the definition of “dairy produce” and, by and large, the provisions of the Act applicable to butter are extended to touch on dairy blend.

In addition, two minor metric amendments are made to this section. Clause 4 amends section 21 of the principal Act by extending the grading provisions relating to butter to include dairy blend. Clause 5 amends section 22 of the principal Act and makes a metric amendment which is self-explanatory. Clause 6 amends section 28 of the principal Act by extending the power to make regulations to cover the dairy blend. Finally, I would indicate that once this product comes on the market it may not necessarily be marketed in the name “dairy blend”: it is likely that the trade name “dairy spread” will be used.

The Hon. C R. STORY secured the adjournment of the debate.

MARGARINE ACT AMFNDMENT BILL.

The Hon. T. M. CASEY (Minister of Agriculture) obtained leave and introduced a Bill for an Act to amend thc Margarine Act. 1939-1973. Read a first time.

The Hon. T. M CASEY: I move:

That this Bill be now read a second time.

It is the last of the three measures that will facilitate the marketing of dairy blend. The effect of this short Bill is to take “dairy blend” as defined for the purposes of the Dairy Industry Act, 1928, as amended, out of the definition of “margarine”. As a result, the Margarine Act will have no application in relation to dairy blend. In addition, opportunity has been taken to amend section 16 of the Margarine Act, which deals with the distance by which butter and marjarine factories must be separated, to make this section consistent with section 22 of the Dairy Industry Act, as that section is proposed to be amended.

The Hon. C. R. STORY secured the adjournment of the debate.