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Fee Change - Too Little, Too Late For Closed Businesses

Reductions in PrimeSafe licence fees are too little, too late for the seafood businesses already forced to the wall, Shadow Minister for Agriculture Philip Davis said today.

By Philip Davis - 13th May 2005 - Back to News

The Bracks Government’s meat and seafood regulator PrimeSafe has taken too long to announce a reduction in the fees imposed on meat, poultry and seafood industries.

Mr Davis said the substantial reduction in fees showed how unreasonable the original fees were.

"The fact that wildcatch and aquaculture businesses have had their PrimeSafe fees reduced by 23 per cent just goes to show how much they were being over-charged," he said.

"Then we have the seafood businesses registered with Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, they have had their fees reduced by a whopping 80 per cent.

"Unfortunately for a large proportion of these businesses, the fee reduction has come too late, with seafood business closures and down-sizing occurring left, right and centre last year.

"Previously, 300 aquaculture licences were issued, but today only 100 of those still exist."

Mr Davis said the fee reduction was the result of licencee feedback through a review of licence fees.

"This consultation should have taken place before the licence fees were implemented, not after they were introduced and crippled the industry," he said.

"The aquaculture industry has spent 12 long months trying to convince Labor’s Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron that there were serious problems with PrimeSafe licencing, but to no avail.

"Bob Cameron merely sat and watched aquaculture businesses close around him.

"He refused to meet with growers over a substantial period and provided no support to the industry he, as Agriculture Minister, is supposed to represent."

Mr Davis said the fee reduction would come as a bitter-sweet victory for those who had fought so hard, yet still forced to down-size or completely close their businesses because of the unfair fee burden.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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