COMPETITION – AUSTRALIA – REGULATION

NBN win could cost TPG sales

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 6-Jan-15

New restrictions on companies building fast broadband networks have resulted in TPG Telecom stopping sales of its superfast broadband plan. Australian Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the extra restrictions on 14 December 2014. His motivation was to protect the interests of the national broadband network operator, NBN Co. TPG stated on 5 January 2015 that the company was unable to meet the new requirements and that consequently new orders for the service will not be accepted

CORPORATES
TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, NBN CO LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS

Big retailers warn of chill to competition

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Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 19-Nov-14

An Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) submission to the Harper review of competition law has expressed concern about the proposed "effects test". It warns that this would adversely affect competition and would have no long-term benefit for consumers. The ANRA has supported some of the other recommendations of the review, while small retailers say the proposal to deregulate trading hours will ultimately increase the dominance of retail giants Coles and Woolworths

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN TAXI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Abertis slams Transurban approval for Qld toll road

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 & 32 : 16-Oct-14

Toll roads operator Transurban in April 2014 paid $A7.05bn to acquire the Queensland Motorways business from state enterprise QIC. It had formed an alliance with AustralianSuper and the Tawreed Investments sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi, and won out over a consortium of Hastings Funds Management and Spanish group Abertis. The latter’s CEO, Francisco Reynes, now says he was surprised that Transurban gained approval from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. He also believes the company should focus more on overseas toll road assets

CORPORATES
TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, QUEENSLAND MOTORWAYS LIMITED, ABERTIS INFRAESTRUCTURAS SA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, TAWREED INVESTMENTS LIMITED, QIC LIMITED, HASTINGS FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Competition a minefield for unis

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Original article by Jonathan Chew, Brian Parmenter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 13-Oct-14

The Australian Government’s planned changes to the universities sector, such as full deregulation of course fees and public funding for private education providers, raise competition policy issues as well. It may be necessary to gauge the factor valuable real estate assets held by prestige institutions can be in the setting of fees under the new model. Competition rules should also apply to education that already cover research, where the cross-subsidising of that activity is the issue. Watchdog agencies could look at possible fee-setting collusion, and mergers between providers

CORPORATES
COUNCIL OF PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND, VICTORIA. ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION, ACIL ALLEN CONSULTING PTY LTD

Competition watchdog won’t call for Woolies liquor split

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Original article by Julie-Anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 22 : 6-Oct-14

A former Woolworths executive has claimed that the retail giant has too much market power in the liquor sector. Tony Leon says Woolworths should be forced to divest one of its liquor chains, as its market dominance allows it to put pressure on liquor suppliers. However, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says forcing companies to offload assets should not be within the regulator’s purview, arguing that it can already address concerns about abuse of market power

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, BWS – BEER WINE SPIRITS, DAN MURPHY’S, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, IBISWORLD PTY LTD, LIQUORLAND (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, VINTAGE CELLARS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, FIRST CHOICE LIQUOR SUPERSTORE, AUSTRALIAN LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY GROUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED, STEVE’S LIQUOR, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR MARKETERS PTY LTD, CELLARBRATION PTY LTD, BOTTLE-O, IGA LIQUOR

Kennett to steer Coles supplier charter

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 20 : 7-Aug-14

John Durkan, CEO of dominant supermarkets chain Coles, has announced a new charter to safeguard the interests of its suppliers. The initiative is in addition to the ongoing talks by Coles, rival Woolworths and the Australian Food & Grocery Council on a code of conduct for the sector, which have entered a consultation period to last until the end of August 2014. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission had accused Coles of forcing small food manufacturers into contributing $A16m to the cost of a supply chain overhaul. The new charter will be overseen by ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA