Commission reschedules timetable for price control study of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch Airports
Published12 Jan 2001
The Commerce Commission has rescheduled the timetable for its price control study of airfield activities at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch International Airports. This will not change the end date by which the Commission is required to report to the Minister of Commerce.
Commission Chair John Belgrave said that the Commission changed its timetable as amendments are expected to the price control provisions of the Commerce Act 1986.
The Minister of Commerce has indicated that changes to the price control provisions of the Act are likely to be added to the Commerce Amendment Bill 1999 when it is reported back to Parliament. Details of the amendments will be known when the Bill is reported back in February.
Mr Belgrave said that it is important to note that amendments to the Act and the airfield activities price control study are two separate matters. The Commission is not making amendments to the Act. That is being done by the Government. The Commission has been directed to report on whether airfield activities at Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch Airports should be subject to price control.
"Both interested parties and the Commission need to be able to consider the implications of any legislative changes," Mr Belgrave said. "We made the change to our timetable to allow for this and to ensure that interested parties have reasonable opportunity to present their views to the Commission."
The Commission now plans to publish a revised critical issues paper on March 16, and interested parties will have until April 27 to make submissions on the paper. The Commission had previously planned to publish the paper last month and to have submissions by February 2.
The revised timetable is:
16 March 2001
Commission publishes revised and updated Critical Issues Paper.
27 April 2001
Interested parties make submissions on Critical Issues Paper.
8 June 2001
Commission publishes draft report.
20 July 2001
Interested parties make submissions on draft report and experts employed by interested parties present reports.
17 August 2001
Interested parties and experts make cross submissions on submissions made or reports presented by other parties.
11-14 and 17-20 September 2001
Conference.
2 November 2001
Planned completion of the Commission's report.
No later than 1 August 2002
Commission must report to the Minister of Commerce.
Background information on the Commission's price control study of airports, is available by visiting the Commission's website http://www.comcom.govt.nz/ price or by contacting the Commission byfax (04) 471-0771, e-mail airports@comcom.govt.nz, and post Commerce Commission, Price Control Study of Airfield Activities, PO Box 2351, Wellington.
