ACCC gives coal miners bargaining power
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has granted the New South Wales Minerals Council and ten coal producers in the region interim authorisation to negotiate with Port of Newcastle Operations (PNO) on terms and conditions of access to the port for coal exports, including prices.
The ten coal producers that export coal through the Port of Newcastle include Glencore Coal, Yancoal Australia, Peabody Energy, Centennial Coal, Whitehaven Coal and MACH Energy Australia.
The interim authorisation does not allow the producers to enter into collectively negotiated agreements with PNO, or allow them to share individual coal projection volumes, customer pricing information or marketing strategies.
PNO is currently negotiating with individual coal producers over a proposed ten-year deed for access to the port.
The ACCC said on Thursday that allowing coal producers to collectively negotiate would give producers an opportunity to reduce ongoing uncertainty and achieve more timely outcomes.
“We have granted this interim authorisation because coal vessels will soon be facing higher port service charges if coal producers don’t execute a deed with the Port of Newcastle,” ACCC commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said.
“Because participation is voluntary we do not believe this authorisation will impact competition between the producers. Individual coal producers are still free to negotiate separately if they believe they can get a better deal,” Ridgeway said.
“PNO is also free to decide whether or not to negotiate with the coal producers collectively.”
A draft determination is anticipated for May or June 2020 and a final determination will be made in July or August 2020.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
At SMS group, we have made it our mission to create a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Rooted in the hearts of South Africans, combining technology and a quest for perfection to bring you a battery of peerless standing. Willard...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
