The conference of interested parties to the meat companies' consortium application for authorisation of the proposal to buy and then close the Weddel meat processing plants will be open to the media.

The conference is an opportunity for interested parties to speak to the written submissions they have already made. It is not an adversarial process. There will be no questions from other parties.

A list of organisations and people who have made submissions is attached. Many of the submissions are large documents. If you would like copies of any of them please contact Communications Officer Vince Cholewa (see below) as soon as possible.

Venue:Seminar suite, Wellington Town Hall

Timetable:10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm, daily

The order of presentations will be.- applicants, parties supporting the application, neutral parties, parties opposed to the application, reply by applicants.

Commission contacts:At the conference, Chief Investigator, Geoff Thorn

Otherwise, Vince Cholewa

Confidentiality:Some participants may ask to make confidential presentations. Media representatives will be asked to leave the room during these presentations.

Questions:There will be no opportunity to ask questions during the conference, except of individuals during breaks. Whether participants wish to provide comments in addition to their submissions is a matter for journalists and the participants to decide.

Commission comment:The Commission's draft determination, released on November 18, gives the Commission's preliminary view of the proposal.

The Commission will not have formed views of how the submissions address issues raised by the draft determination until after it has considered all the presentations made at the conference

It will, therefore, not be able to comment on any of the submissions, presentations or possible conclusions until its final determination is released in late January.

Media contact:Communications Officer, Vince Cholewa

work phone (04) 471 0180, fax (04) 471 0771

home phone (04) 479 1432.

PERSONS ATTENDING CONFERENCE

as at December 16

Name

Status

Position

Person Attending Conference

Applicants

  • To advise by 22 December

R B Chystall

Farmer

  • Opposed
  • R B Chrystall
  • M W Waite, McKay Mackie (Counsel)

    • Aorangi-Feilding Promotions Ltd

    Potential investor in industry

    • Opposed
  • H Bell, Director
  • R Norman, ex General Manager, Thomas Borthwick & Sons (Australasia) Ltd
  • J Clouston, Solicitor, Cooper Rapley
  • N Evereton, Director, Lakeview Farms

    • C J Blake/Provincial Support Group

    RH & MA Hood

    Farmers

    • Opposed
  • C J Blake
  • RH & MA Hood

    • I Grogan

    Farmer

    Opposed

    • I Grogan

    Tararua Federated Farmers

    Farmer group

    • Opposed
  • P Harris, Chairman, Meat and Wool Sectionl

    • I A McClean

    Farmer

    • Opposed
  • I A McClean
  • W MacMillan

    • W M Buddo

    Farmer

    • Opposed
  • W M Buddo, or
  • L A McErlane, McAlister Mazengarb Perry Castle

    • The Retain Tomoana Group

    potential investors in the industry

    • Opposed
  • 2 persons to state submissions and 6 to attend in total
  • L A McErlane, McAlister Mazengarb Perry Castle

    • NK & YL Weir Farming Partnership

    farmers

    • Opposed
  • N K Weir, and/or
  • A Ward, Economist
  • Mark Chrystal, farmer, ex-Department of Exrternal Affairs (Expert)
  • Counsel eg G Turkington (maybe)

    • J Field

    HB Farmer

    • Opposed
  • J Field

    • Rangitikei/Manawatu and Wanganui Federated Farmers

    Farmer

    group

    • Qualified Support
  • P Keenan, Chairman Meat and Wool Section, Rangitikei-Manawatu
  • P Keenan, Chairman Meat and Wool Section, Wanganui
  • G Forrest, Regional Policy Executive

    • Waikato Federated Farmers

    Farmer

    group

    • Qualified Support
  • G Pinnell, Regional President
  • M Wallace, Chairman, Meat and Wool Section

    • NZ Council of Trade Unions; and

    Meat and Related Trades Workers Union of Aotearoa

    Trade Unions

    • Supports
  • P Harris, Economist, NZCTU
  • G Cooke, Interim Secretary, Meat and Related Trades Workers Union of Aotearora

    • NZ Meat Producers Board

    Producer Board

    • Supports
  • A Frazer, General Manager, Industry Services

    • The National Bank of New Zealand Ltd

    bank

    • Supports
  • A Grimes, Chief Economist

    • B Chamberlin

    Farmer

    • Supports
  • B Chamberlin

    • Ronnick Commodities (NZ) Ltd

    exporter

    • Supports
  • R L Russell, Managing Director of Ronnick Commodities and Paramount Exports (a member of the consortium)

    • W R Storey

    • Supports
  • W R Storey

    • R J Drake

    Farmer

    • Supports
  • R J Drake