The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is presiding over access issues in the wheat industry after its liberalisation from a single wheat exporter to 23 accredited wheat exporters in 12 months. One condition liberalisation is that the ACCC must accept port access arrangements provided by port operators. Having conducted a review of port arrangements, consulting with farmers, port operators and grain exporters, the ACCC has released its draft decisions, rejecting the current arrangements proposed by port operators CBH, ABB and Graincorp. According to a statement issued by the ACCC, it seeks port access arrangements that:

• Recognise the need for port operators to have flexibility to operate their supply chains efficiently in the transitionary environment;
• Provide Australian wheat exporters with fair, transparent and non-discriminatory access to port terminal facilities; and
• Provide transparent and clear processes for managing demand for port terminal services.

The ACCC is now open for submissions from interested parties on its draft decisions and proposals for improvements, until September 3, 2009.