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About the Meat Industry Levy
Occupiers of land liable to pay an animal health rate to Local Land Services are also required to pay a meat industry levy. The NSW Food Authority has an agreement with Local Land Services to collect the levy from liable ratepayers each year.
The existing annual meat industry levy is $5 plus 0.6 cents per stock unit of notional carrying capacity for each producer. The average meat industry levy per year is $14 and the maximum levy payable is capped at $130.
The meat industry levy helps ensure that:
- the principle of 'through-chain' food safety management from farm to consumer is maintained
- meat is safe and suitable for consumption
- misleading conduct in the sale of food is prevented
- the Food Standards Code is applied to businesses processing and selling meat in NSW.
Levy funds are used for:
- enforcing the branding of meat
- enforcing food labelling of meat products
- conducting investigations into meat substitution, illegal slaughter and unlicensed meat businesses
- participating in national standard setting processes related to meat
- educating the meat industry through food safety program audits and inspections.
Proposed changes
The NSW Food Authority is seeking feedback on proposed changes in the draft Meat Industry (Meat Industry Levy) Regulation 2025.
The NSW Meat Industry (Meat Industry Levy) Regulation supports the Meat Industry Act 1978, which requires meat producers in NSW to contribute a levy that funds a broad range of activities to ensure food safety in the meat supply chain that benefit the meat industry overall.
We are proposing to remake the Meat Industry Regulation 2016 keeping the current annual meat industry levy without any change. Therefore, each producer will pay a meat industry levy of $5 plus 0.6 cents per stock unit of notional carrying capacity, up to a maximum of $130.
We are also proposing some administrative amendments to ensure the Regulation is relevant and fit for purpose. The changes aim to ensure a sufficient contribution from producers to food safety activities, while removing red tape for producers and improving clarity and efficiency for government.
Summary of proposed changes
| Proposed Change | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date for notice of levy payable | Date for notice to be given to land occupier changed to 31 March to align with Local Land Services (LLS) rates notices. |
| Giving notice of changes in occupancy or ownership of land | Removed duplicative text that is already in the Local Land Services Regulation 2014. No change to existing method for a person to notify LLS of a change in land occupancy or ownership. |
| Application for a certificate showing levies due and payable | Removed a redundant $5 fee that was not being charged. No change to the process or fee payable for a person to request information from LLS about levies due and payable. |
| Certificates of levies due and payable | Amended to clarify that a certificate issued by LLS does not have to be in the prescribed format. |
| Objection to validity of levy | Amended to make it easier for a producer to dispute the validity of a levy by allowing these disputes to be lodged with the Local Court instead of the District Court. |
| Interest rate on overdue levies | Set the interest rate for overdue levies at 2% more than the Commonwealth Bank’s overdraft index rate for businesses. This is consistent with the method used by LLS for calculating interest on overdue rates and levies. |
| Levy books | Removed outdated paper-based methods for government to keep land and producer details. No change for producers as these details are already kept in electronic form. |
| Notice of sale or transfer of land | Removed requirement to provide certain property identification details and some personal details of the new landowner. |
| Application for certificate as to amounts of meat industry levies due and payable | Removed requirement to provide certain property identification details. |
Find out more
- Review the draft Meat Industry Levy Regulation 2025 (PDF, 220 KB)
- Review the Regulatory Impact Statement (PDF, 4.5 MB)
Make a submission
Interested organisations and individuals are invited to make a submission on any matter relevant to the draft Meat Industry Levy Regulation 2025. There are 3 ways to make a submission:
- Complete our online submission form
- Email your comments to food.legislation@dpird.nsw.gov.au
- Mail your comments to Meat Industry Levy Submissions, NSW Food Authority, PO Box 6682, Silverwater NSW 1811
Submissions close Sunday 1 June 2025.
Next steps
Open and listening
Give your feedback on the draft Meat Industry Levy Regulation 2025 by 1 June 2025.
Under review
All feedback will be reviewed. The draft Meat Industry Levy Regulation 2025 may be modified after considering feedback.
New Regulation becomes law
We will let you know on our website when the Meat Industry Levy Regulation 2025 becomes law.