The effectiveness of the Commodity Levies Act for long-term research

Concern has been expressed within primary industries that the Commodity Levies Act 1990 does not cater for long term research due to the restrictions on ‘commercial activities’ in particular, and the six year term of the levy orders. I describe long term research as breeding, market development, processing and value adding research activities showing a five to fifteen year return period with potential commercial and intellectual property outcomes. The objectives of this report were to evaluate how current levy orders are being used in relation to the issues the industry concerned is facing, whether the highlighted perceived restrictions of the Act are of major concern, and what other mechanisms are being utilised to invest in long term research as I describe it.