AGY-557 | New South Wales Dried Fruits Board

Full description

The New South Wales Dried Fruits Board was constituted under the Dried Fruits Act, 1927 (Act No.13, 1927), which received assent on 17 February 1927.(1)

In order for a Board to be established, the Act required that at least 70% of dried fruit growers should participate in a poll, and if the majority of those voted in favour the Act would be brought into full operation. The Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission conducted the necessary poll which voted for the formation of the Board, and the main provisions of the Act were proclaimed to commence on 17 October 1927.(2)

The Board constituted by the Act comprised three members: a chairman appointed by the Governor, a member elected by growers within irrigation areas and a member elected by the growers within the remainder of the State. In order to manage the marketing of dried fruits, the Board was responsible for the registration of dried fruit growers, dealers, and packing sheds, and had the power to purchase or compulsorily acquire, seize or take possession of dried fruit. The Board could require a return of dried fruits to be compiled and ask dealers to furnish particulars of dried fruit sales. Penalties were imposed for the sale of dried fruit outside the Act and for the possession of sub-standard fruit or misrepresentation of the standard of dried fruit.

The Dried Fruits (Amendment) Act, 1929 (Act No. 6, 1929) clarified the jurisdiction of the Act to avoid conflict with the Commonwealth of Australia, authorized the extension of the Act to cover additional types of dried fruit, enabled the Board to levy a contribution from growers to cover the administration of the Act , re-defined marketing to eliminate confusion with the role of the Commonwealth and the powers of the Board were extended to further regulate standards of construction, cleanliness, management and operation of packing sheds. The regulation and control in New South Wales of dried fruit trees was vested in the Board in 1932.(4)

The Dried Fruits Act, 1933 (Act no. 21, 1933) which received assent on 20 December, 1933 (5) replaced the Dried Fruits Act, 1927-1929 and reconstituted the Board to consist of an appointed Chairman and four other members elected by dried fruit growers from various regions of the state. The Act also regulated the election process and the board meetings; packing sheds, dealers, growers and dehydrators and the marketing of dried fruit in New South Wales. The new Act set penalties; and authorized the making of regulations on a range of issues within the industry. The regulation and control in New South Wales of dried fruit trees was vested in the Board in 1932. (4)

In 1995 the Dried fruits Board described its functions as follows: (1) " to inspect drying grounds and dehydrators and advise growers on means of preventing organic and inorganic contamination of fruit (2) registration of packing houses to ensure that fruit is received and treated under hygienic conditions (3) classification of dried fruit on receival into packing houses and assigning the grade and in the case of vine fruit the deductions to be made for defects (4) inspection of processed fruit".(6)

The Dried Fruits (Repeal) Act No.124, 1997, abolished the New South Wales Dried Fruits Board on 15 December 1997 and ended the regulation of certain sectors of the dried fruits industry. (7) Sections 5-8 of the Act commenced on 19 December.(8)

Endnotes
1. New South Wales Government Gazette No.26, 25 February 1927, Volume 1 p.1161.
2. New South Wales Government Gazette No.143, 7 October 1927, Volume 4, p.4825.
3. Annual Report of the Dried Fruits Board 1940, p.1 Parliamentary Papers 1940-41, Vol.1, p.37.
4. Annual Report of the Dried Fruits Board 1940, p.2 Parliamentary Papers 1940-41, Vol.1, p.37.
5. New South Wales Government Gazette No. 218, 29 December 1933, p.4592.
6. Annual Report of the Dried Fruits Board for 1995, p.4.
7. New South Wales Government Gazette No.149, 19 December 1997, p.10089.
(8) New South Wales Government Gazette No.149, 19 December 1997, p.10092.

References
- New South Wales Government Directory 1995-6.
- Annual Report of the Dried Fruits Board 1992-94.