Schedule of ACCC petrol inquiry public hearings announced
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today announced the schedule of public hearings to be held as part of its inquiry into the price of unleaded petrol.
A national round of public hearings will begin in Canberra on 21 August 2007. The ACCC inquiry will visit all capital cities as well as a number of regional centres (Ballarat, Mt Gambier, Townsville and Wagga Wagga). The locations and dates of the public hearings are outlined below:
Location
Venue
Start time
Canberra 21/8/07
Rydges Lakeside London Cct
10am
Brisbane 22/8/07
Mercure Hotel 85-87 North Quay
12noon
Townsville 23/8/07
Rydges Southbank 23-29 Palmer St Sth Townsville
9am
Melbourne 24/8/07
Jasper Hotel 489 Elizabeth St
9am
Darwin 27/8/07
Crowne Plaza Mitchell St
3pm
Perth 28/8/07
Duxton Hotel 1 St Georges Terrace
1pm
Adelaide 29/8/07
Stamford Plaza 150 North Terrace
1pm
Sydney 3/9/07
Novatel Brighton Cnr. Grand Parade & Princess Street, Brighton-le-Sands
2pm
Sydney 4/9/07
Novatel Brighton Cnr. Grand Parade & Princess Street, Brighton-le-Sands
9am
Melbourne 5/9/07
CQ Functions 123 Queen Street
10am
Wagga Wagga 10/9/07
Country Comfort Morgan St
12noon
Mount Gambier 11/9/07
Quality Inn International Millicent Rd (Princes Hway)
12noon
Melbourne 12/9/07
Jasper Hotel 489 Elizabeth St
10am
Melbourne 13/9/07
CQ Functions 123 Queen Street
9am
Hobart 14/9/07
Grand Chancellor 1 Davey St
11am
Melbourne 19/9/07
Jasper Hotel 489 Elizabeth St
1pm
Melbourne 20/9/07
Jasper Hotel 489 Elizabeth St
9am
Ballarat 21/9/07
Mid City Motel 19 Doveton St Nth Ballarat
11am
The hearings are the next step in the ACCC's consultation process. Public written submissions made to the petrol inquiry are available on the ACCC's website.
"The public hearings will allow the ACCC to hear additional evidence that will help inform the ACCC in reporting to the Treasurer on the matters covered in the terms of reference to the inquiry," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.
Key participants in the petrol industry and certain motoring and business associations will be asked by the ACCC to attend the public hearings to discuss the issues covered by the inquiry. The possibility of others providing information at the public hearings will be at the discretion of the ACCC.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings. However, it is likely that commercially sensitive information will be discussed at some of the public hearings. As a result, it may be necessary for the ACCC to conduct some parts of the hearings in private.
On 15 June 2007 the Treasurer approved the holding of a price inquiry by the ACCC into the price of unleaded petrol, pursuant to section 95H(2) of Part VIIA of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
Matters to be taken into consideration by the inquiry include, but are not restricted to:
the current structure of the industry
the extent of competition at the refinery, wholesale and retail levels, including the role of imports
the determination of prices at each of these levels, including the methodology for determining wholesale prices, and
current impediments to efficient petrol pricing and possible methods to address them.
The inquiry is a public inquiry and is to be completed and a report submitted to the Treasurer by 15 October 2007.
