1994--No. 550 DAIRY INDUSTRY ACT 1979--REGULATION
(Relating to price margins based on microbiological indicators)
NEW SOUTH WALES

[Published in Gazette No. 143 of 21 October 1994]

HIS Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, and in pursuance of the Dairy Industry Act 1979, has been pleased to make the Regulation set forth hereunder.

I. R. CAUSLEY, M.P., Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Commencement
1. This Regulation commences on 21 October 1994.

Amendment
2. The Dairy Industry (Pricing) Regulation 1984 is amended by inserting after clause 7 (2) (a) the following paragraph: (a1) there shall be added to or deducted from the sector price such amount as may be determined by the Corporation in respect of the somatic cell count and the total plate count of any milk delivered or caused to be delivered by a dairy farmer, and accepted by the Corporation; and

EXPLANATORY NOTE This Regulation introduces in the pricing structure set out in the Dairy Industry (Pricing) Regulation 1984 a margin to be paid (or deducted from the amounts to be paid) to a dairy farmer based on the microbiological quality of the milk delivered by the farmer.
The margin is based on the somatic cell count (i.e. the level of white blood cells present in the milk, this level being an indication of the general health of a cow's udder)

2 1994--No. 550
and on the total plate count (i.e. the level of contamination of the milk by bacteria). Though harmful bacteria in milk are controlled at the processing stage, the level of bacteria in general in the milk, and the general health of the cows producing the milk, have a bearing on product quality. The margin is designed to reflect this.
This Regulation is made principally under section 56 (Prescribed provisions for fixing prices) and section 103 (the general regulation-making power) and in particular section 103 (1) (n) of the Dairy Industry Act 1979.