INDUSTRY FUNDING
The services provided to industry by the Pāua Industry Council are funded by way of a levy, the Pāua Commodity Levy, under the Commodity Levies (pāua) Order 2013. This order was extended until February 2024 under the Commodity Levies (pāua) Amendment Order 2017.
WHO PAYS THE LEVY?
The Pāua Commodity Levy is a compulsory levy imposed on wild-caught pāua (Haliotis iris and Haliotis australis).
Pāua Quota Share Owners pay the levy to PIC on the basis of the ‘quota weight equivalent' of quota shares owned by a levy payer.
Quota Share Owners are invoiced one twelfth of the annual levy every month. FishServe issues the invoices and collects the levy on behalf of PIC.
SERVICES
The levy enables PIC to deliver services such as science and technical services, fisheries management, policy and advocacy to industry. The levy also enables PāuaMACs to fund activities that benefit pāua fisheries in each region.
PIC spends the levy either directly on core services, or by purchasing stock-specific services and projects from the PāuaMACs. Levy payers are consulted on how the levy is spent each year and PIC is accountable to levy payers for all expenditure.
COMPONENTS
The levy comprises of two parts:
1. The Core Services Levy funds PIC’s own activities, other pāua industry-wide services, and the pāua industry’s share of any services provided for the wider benefit of the seafood industry.
2. A Stock-Specific Levy funds PāuaMAC services that benefit the pāua industry in a particular region. It may only be imposed at the request of a PāuaMAC and must first be approved by the levy payers to whom it applies.