14 DECEMBER NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 4769

-- free from pests and diseases and meet any quarantine and other legal requirements of the importing country;
-- intact, whole fruit;
-- sound;
-- clean;
-- reasonably well formed, typical of variety and a uniform blue in accordance with the varietal characteristics—;
-- free from abnormal external moisture;
-- free of foreign smell or taste;
-- free from all cap stems;
-- free from all clusters.

b. The blueberries must be:
-- be of a similar degree of maturity and colouring in the same line of produce;
-- have matured sufficiently to be able to complete the ripening process and to withstand handling, storage and transport;
-- not be soft, overripe or wrinkled;
-- not be over or under mature.

c. The blueberries must meet the requirements of this grade and have characteristics typical of the particular variety and be free of defects which may significantly impair the general appearance or keeping quality of the fruit.

d. Bruised or wet fruit that is soft and weeping or fruit wet from juice is unacceptable.

e. Each blueberry is permitted a slight defect of shape, development or colouring and skin defects of a superficial nature, such as those outlined in the Second Schedule to this notice.

7. Packaging—(1) The materials must be clean, sound and well made and of a quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce.

(2) Packages must be free of all foreign matter.

(3) Pursuant to regulation 16 of the New Zealand Grown Fruit and Vegetables Regulations 1975, a box/tray is declared to be a package.

8. Branding—The grower’s identification number, the grade for each shipment and the country of origin must be clearly shown on each package.

First Schedule

Definition of Terms

“Bloom” means the white waxy powder on the surface of the fruit.

“Cap stems” means the stem attaching the berry to the plant.

“Clean” means free from dirt, dust, grass or other foreign material.

“Clusters” means where two or more berries can be joined by their cap stems.

“Damage” includes cuts, punctures, torn scars, splits, cracks, hail damage, chewed calyx, frost damage, surface russeting, deformed fruit, bruised fruit and any other readily noticeable damage.

“Disease” means Anthracnose and Botrytis.

“Major defect” means a defect such as damage, disease or fruit which is not sound and is likely to lead to premature decay.

“Minor defect” means a defect that detracts from the normal external appearance of a blueberry such as russeting, misshapen etc., but does not affect keeping qualities.

“Sound” means free from decay, rots, over-maturity, breakdown, freezing injury, damage and similar defects which may cause rapid loss of condition or rapid decay.

“To pack” means to arrange fruit in a package so that they are not loose or compressed to an extent likely to cause damage to fruit during handling or transport.

“Wet” means that the individual berry is wet from juice from crushed, leaking, or decayed berries.

Second Schedule

Allowance for Defects

Damaged fruit:

Any damage in this category has to be relatively noticeable:

-- Surface russeting – defined as any brown blemish or brown mark on the berry. Up to an aggregate area of 2 square millimetres is acceptable.
-- Torn scars – a small tear is acceptable, large tears exposing the flesh are unacceptable.

Colour:

Red/purple on the berry is allowable.

Shape:

Fruit may be slightly misshapen.

Tolerances:

Major defects accept at 2%.
Minor defects accept at 15%.

Dated at Wellington this 12th day of December 1995.

RICHARD IVESS, Chief Plants Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, signed pursuant to a delegated authority under section 41 of the State Sector Act 1988.

*S.R. 1975/57.

*80342

Commerce

Commerce Act 1986

Statement to the Commerce Commission of the Economic Policy of the Government: Development of a Competitive Wholesale Electricity Market

To the Commerce Commission

Pursuant to section 26 of the Commerce Act 1986, I hereby transmit to the Commerce Commission a statement of the economic policy of the Government in relation to the development of a competitive wholesale electricity market in New Zealand.

Broad Objectives

The Government’s overall policy objective is to ensure the continuing availability of energy services at least cost to the economy as a whole, consistent with sustainable development.

Specific Outcomes

To achieve the overall objective, the Government considers that the following outcomes are necessary:

• Pressure on prices and costs: Real and sustained pressure on electricity prices and costs, especially in the area of new investment, over the next 10 years and beyond. It is vital to the economy that we see stronger pressures on electricity producers to be efficient and innovative – to look for last-cost solutions; and

• Accurate price signals: Pricing electricity in a manner which signals the full cost of producing an extra