ONE of the original proponents of a Newcastle container terminal says he was shocked to read the document that finally proved the state government’s secret deal to advantage Port Botany over Newcastle.
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Canberra analyst Greg Cameron, who worked with former BHP Newcastle steelworks chief Bob Kirkby on the original late-1990s terminal proposal, said the deal was “a national disgrace”.
“The government is still trying to justify giving Botany a 99-year monopoly on container trade by saying it’s consistent with a freight and ports strategy it had at the time.” Mr Cameron said.
“But nothing can justify a secret anti-competitive arrangement that if left in place will lock the next 24 state governments into the same arrangement!”
As reported on Friday and Saturday, the Newcastle Herald has obtained a copy of a “strictly confidential” document that shows how the government has protected Botany from container competition.
The commitment means a Newcastle container terminal would have to pay Botany so much compensation that it could never be financially viable.
Mr Cameron said he and others who had watched the issue closely were certain such a document existed but the government would never admit it, despite fielding more than 100 parliamentary questions on the subject.
“Now that the agreement is in the public arena, it’s a different ball-game.”
Mr Cameron said people had every right to wonder why the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was apparently unable to do anything about the deal.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims told the Herald on Friday he was “deeply concerned” about the arrangements, but that the commission could not automatically intervene.
Mr Cameron said this was because the government was denying that federal competition laws applied to the Botany and Newcastle privatisations, meaning a court case was needed to decide the issue.
“Having the commitment deed should make that a bit easier,” Mr Cameron said.
Labor and The Greens are both calling for a state parliamentary inquiry into the Botany deal, with parliament set to resume on Tuesday. Opposition leader Luke Foley said “even with the smoking gun, the government still can’t be upfront with the Hunter”.
Mr Cameron’s website is: www.containerterminalpolicyinnsw.com.au
