1364 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 68

(c) To require the Authority to be satisfied, after consultation with the product group concerned, that an applicant for an export licence is likely to be competent in handling the export and marketing of the product concerned, and that the applicant is familiar with current export marketing strategy and will act in a way so as not to prejudice that strategy. The bill also seeks to limit export licences, which will be renewable, to five years.

Patents Amendment Bill

This bill, which amends the Patents Act 1953—

(a) Enables New Zealand to fulfil obligations under the Patent Co-operation Treaty, that was signed in Washington on 19 June 1970.

(b) Repeals, on the day after the date on which the bill receives the Royal Assent, section 15, the section that requires the Commissioner of Patents, in certain circumstances, to grant compulsory licences in respect of patented food or medicine and related processes and inventions.

(c) Requires the Commissioner of Patents to furnish an annual report to the Minister in July of each year.

Transport Amendment Bill

This bill effects the transfer of traffic officers and certain other persons employed by the Ministry of Transport to the New Zealand Police. They will be deemed to be appointed as non-sworn members of the Police at the date of transfer and will continue to exercise their powers as traffic officers until such time as they complete the required training to become sworn members of the Police.

The bill also seeks to require regional councils to consider contracting out their functions under the Transport Services Licensing Act 1989 where such functions can be carried out more efficiently and effectively by another body. Regional councils and unitary authorities are required to prepare regional land transport strategies by 1 July 1993.

Amendments to the Local Government Act 1974 will enable regional councils in Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch and Otago to levy a regional petrol tax of not more than two cents a litre.

State Sector Superannuation Bill

This bill amends the Government Superannuation Fund Act 1956, and various other Acts relating to superannuation.

It provides that the superannuation schemes under the Government Superannuation Fund Act 1956 relating to the Armed Forces, the judiciary, members of Parliament, members of the Police, and members of the Prisons Service will close as from 30 June 1992.

The Commissioner of Police and the Chief of Defence Force are given the power to establish superannuation schemes for their members given that they are within the framework and criteria set down for state servants generally.

The criteria for new schemes are set out in an amendment to the State Sector Act and to the Area Health Boards Act.

The Higher Salaries Commission is given the power to recommend on all matters relating to superannuation for members of Parliament and the judiciary, and not just on matters set out in the Government Superannuation Fund Act 1956.

Redundancy Payments (Taxation and Benefits) Bill

This bill proposes to amend the Income Tax Act 1976 and the Social Security Act 1964 to—

(a) Make the full amount of lump sum redundancy payments made on or after the date on which the bill comes into force taxable as assessable income of the employee; and

(b) Remove the redundancy stand-down period for unemployment benefits where redundancy is paid on or after the date on which the bill comes into force; and

(c) Count net redundancy payments for the purposes of calculating the high income stand-down period, except to the extent that any such payment is made more than a year after the redundancy.

Housing Restructuring Bill

This bill provides for the transfer to a company owned by the Crown of State housing land and assets and liabilities of the Housing Corporation, redefines the functions of the Housing Corporation, and transfers the functions of the Housing Corporation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 to the Ministry of Housing.