The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has instituted civil proceedings in the Brisbane Federal Court against Vanderfield Pty Ltd, Sci-Fleet Motors Pty Ltd and three individuals for alleged price fixing and market sharing in the sale of trucks.
Vanderfield sells Hino trucks in Toowoomba and the Gold Coast and Sci-Fleet sells Hino trucks in Brisbane.
The ACCC alleges that between about February 2005 and September 2006, Vanderfield, through its then sales managers Bavin Cherry and John McGuinn, and Sci-Fleet, through a sales manager Ross Goodwin, made and gave effect to anti-competitive agreements in relation to the sale of light and medium trucks in south east Queensland, in contravention of section 45 of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
The ACCC is seeking court orders including declarations, injunctions and pecuniary penalties against the two companies and the three individuals.
The matter has been set down for a directions hearing on July 28 2009 before Justice Greenwood.