The Commerce Commission has received submissions from interested parties on its draft determination on Ravensdown's application for authorisation to acquire up to 100 percent of SouthFert.

The submissions both support, and oppose, the application.

In addition, the Commission has received comments and submissions on the application from many other people.

While most of the comments and submissions are publicly available, some of them are confidential and are not. Confidential submissions are available only to legal counsel and experts for Ravensdown and interested parties if they sign an undertaking not to disclose the submissions.

Commission Member Terry Stapleton said the Commission had set a deadline of May 24 for submissions from interested parties, but would consider late submissions if they arrived.

Ravensdown's submission was received on May 29 and resulted in the deadline for submissions from experts working for interested parties being extended to midday on June 4. However, as at today, neither Ravensdown nor any interested party had applied for expert status for any person.

A conference of interested parties will be held in Wellington on June 5-7, and Mr Stapleton said the Commission expects to make a final decision by June 20.

Conference details

Date

June 5-7

Venue

Tribunals Hearing Room, District Court, Ballance Street, Wellington

Agenda

Wednesday June 5

10am

10.15am - 5pm

opening of conference

Ravensdown

Thursday June 6

9am - midday

1pm - 3.45pm

4pm - 5pm

Ravensdown

BOP Fertiliser

Landcorp

Friday June 7

9am - 9.30am

9.30am - 10am

10am - 10.45am

11am - midday

midday - 1pm

2pm - 3.30pm

Mr B.K.Cameron (farmer)

Mr R.Emmerson (SouthFert shareholder)

Mr H.Gardyne (farm valuer)

Group of 18 SouthFert shareholders

If required, Commission questions to SouthFert

Ravensdown right of reply

Procedure

Commission conferences are for information gathering by the Commission. They are not adversarial and the parties cannot cross examine each other.

Members of the public can attend to observe and the media can report proceedings, although if parties ask for confidentiality and the Commission grants it, the room will be cleared. Legal counsel and experts for Ravensdown and interested parties may attend confidential sessions if they sign an undertaking not to disclose the information presented.

Media contact:Communications Officer Vincent Cholewa

Phone work (04) 498 0920, home (04) 479 1432