Royal Commission into the Australian Meat Industry

Appointed by Letters Patent of 12 September 1981, issued by Governor-General Sir Zelman Cowen on the advice of the Fraser government, after the meat substitution scandal broke in July 1981. Justice Albert Edward Woodward of the Federal Court was to inquire whether supervision of meat for export was adequate, whether malpractices were occurring in the handling or export of meat, and how allegations made over the previous ten years had been dealt with. Victoria issued a parallel commission on 15 September 1981 covering meat for human consumption in Victoria.

Legislation: Royal Commissions Act 1902

1. 26 November 1981Letters Patent varied to add the handling of meat for human consumption in the Northern Territory, with a separate report.

Reported in September 1982, finding that "malpractices in the nature of commercial cheating" had been widespread in the export industry, including falsified packing dates and descriptions and the substitution of pet meat and non-halal meat. The Export Control Act 1982 and the replacement of the export meat inspection arrangements by the Export Inspection Service followed. An appendix withheld at the time was released in 2012. The Parliamentary Handbook gives 21 September 1982 as the date the final report was presented.

• Inquiry into supervision of meat for export
• Inquiry into substitution and malpractice in the meat export trade
• Inquiry into the handling of past allegations and any corruption of inspectors

Loading lineage…

Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.