Commission holds RAL/Turoa conference, October 18-19
Published16 Oct 2000
The Commerce Commission conference to gather further information about Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Limited's (RAL) application for authorisation to acquire Turoa Ski Resort Limited (in receivership) will be held in Wellington on October 18-19.
Commission Chair John Belgrave said that only interested parties can participate in an authorisation conference but the media and the public can attend to observe and report.
The conference will be held in the Discovery Room at the James Cook Centra Hotel, 147 The Terrace. The indicative timetable is:
Wednesday October 18
9am Mr Belgrave's introduction
9.05am RAL (General Manger Dave Mazey, Trustee Sir John Ingram, industry expert John Cooper, and John Feil and John Yeabsley from the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research), including breaks for morning tea at 10.30am and lunch at 12.30pm
2.30pm ex Ski Patrol Director and Safety Manager at Turoa Peter Sutton
3pm afternoon tea
3.30pm Turoa Receiver Gary Traveller
5pm Close
Thursday October 19
9am Ruapehu District Council Chief Executive Chris Ryan and Mayor Weston Kirton
10am NZ Ski Council Executive Director Miles Davidson
10.30am Morning tea
11am Ngauruhoe Ski Club Vice President Phillip Horrocks
The timetable for the Commission's investigation is:
July 31
RAL made its application
August 28
Commission released its draft determination giving its preliminary view that, based on information then available, it would not authorise the proposal
By September 25
Interested parties made submissions on the draft determination
By October 2
Experts hired by interested parties made submissions on the draft determination
October 18-19
Conference
November 7
The Commission will make its final decision
Background
The Commerce Act prohibits business acquisitions that result in dominance being acquired or strengthened in any market.
Parties can apply for an authorisation in effect an exemption from the Act of a business acquisition that would otherwise be prohibited. The Commission will grant an authorisation if it is satisfied that public benefits from the proposed acquisition outweigh its detriments to competition.
