Australian Competition Law

Reports, Inquiries and Guidelines

Australia - Reports and Inquiries by Year

2011

The impacts of supermarket price decisions on the dairy industry
This is the Senate Inquiry into 'Milk Price Wars'
Referred to Senate Economics Committee on 10 February 2011. Submissions due 28 February Report date: 15 April 2011 (extended to 20 April 2011). Interim report released 20 April. Second interim report released 9 May. Final report presented to Senate on 3 November.

Exposure Draft Bill - Competition and Consumer Amendment Bill (No.1) 2011
Part of the Competitive and Sustainable Banking System Package. Note, the bill (as subsequently introduced into Parliament) was considered as part of the House Standing Committee on Economics Inquiry into the Competition and Consumer (Price Signalling) Amendment Bill 2010.

2010-2011

House Standing Committee on Economics Inquiry into the Competition and Consumer (Price Signalling) Amendment Bill 2010
Bill referred 23 November 2010; Inquiry announced 10 December 2010. Expanded inquiry (to include consideration of the Government's Competition and Consumer Amendment Bill (No.1) 2011) announced 18 May. Reported 22 June 2011.

Senate Economics Committee Inquiry into the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Franklins decision (Metcash)
Reported February 2011

Competition within the Australian Banking Sector
Announced 28 October 2010. Due to report on 31 March 2011 (extended until 27 April 2011).
Interim report released on 20 April seeking an extension of the report date until 6 May 2011
Report released 6 May 2011

Senate Inquiry into Competition and Consumer Legislation Amendment Bill 2010
Reported 15 June 2010. Bill lapsed.

2009-2010

Senate Inquiry into Trade Practices Amendment (Material Lessening of Competition - Richmond Amendment) Bill 2009
Reported 13 May 2010 (Mergers)

Senate Economics Committee Inquiry into the Trade Practices Amendment (Guaranteed Lowest Prices - Blacktown Amendment) Bill 2009
Report released 24 November 2009 (Geographic Price Discrimination)

Senate Economics Reference Committee - Milking it for all it's worth - competition and pricing in the Australian dairy industry
Reported date 13 May 2010

Senate Inquiry into the Trade Practices Amendment (Infrastructure Access) Bill 2009
Report released 9 March 2010.

Discussion Paper - Creeping Acquisitions (take 2)
Closed for comment 12 June 2009. No report released

Discussion Paper - Meaning of 'Understanding' in the Trade Practices Act
Submissions were due by 31 March 2009 - non-confidential submissions can be viewed on the web site.

2008

Inquiry by Senate Economics Committee into the Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures) Bill 2008
Reported 26 February 2009.

Discussion Paper - Creeping Acquisitions
Open for comment until 10 October

Criminal Penalties for Serious Cartel Conduct - Draft legislation
Including discussion paper - submissions available

Inquiry by Senate Economics Committee into the Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill 2008
Report available

Inquiry by Senate Economics into the Unit Pricing (Easy comparison of grocery prices) Bill 2008
Referred 17 June. Due to report by 2 September

Inquiry into the Trade Practices (Creeping Acquisitions) Amendment Bill 2007 [2008]
Referred on 26 June 2008. Due to report on 27 August 2008.

ACCC Grocery Inquiry 2008
Announced January 2008 - report finalised 31 July.

2007

ACCC Petrol Inquiry 2007
Inquiry into the Price of Unleaded Petrol - reported 17 December 2007

2004

Working Party Report on Criminal Penalties for Cartel Behaviour
(2004 - released publicly, 2010)

Senate Inquiry into the Effectiveness of the Trade Practices Act 1974 in protecting small business
(March 2004)

2003

Dawson Review 2003
Review of the Competition Provisions of the Trade Practices Act

2002

Wilkinson Review
Review of the impact of Part IV of the Trade Practices Act 1974 on the recruitment and retention of medical practitioners in rural and regional
Australia (November 2002)

2001

Productivity Commission's Review of the National Access Regime (2001)

Productivity Commission's Review of the Prices Surveillance Act 1983 (2001)

Hawker Committee
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economic Finance and Public Administration, 2001

1999

Baird Report
Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Retailing Sector, August 1999 (Baird Committee)
Fair Market or Market Failure? A Review of Australia's Retailing Sector

National Competition Council, Review of Sections 51(2) and 51(3) of the Trade Practices Act 1974
Final Report, March 1999 [external link]

1997

Cultivating Competition - June 1997
Inquiry into aspects of the National Competition Policy Reform Package
Report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Financial Institutions and Public Administration

1993

Hilmer Review - National Competition Policy - 1993
National Competition Policy - Report by the Independent Committee of Inquiry

1991

Cooney Committee Report 1991
Adequacy of the existing legislative controls in the Trade Practices Act over mergers and acquisitions

1989

Griffiths Committee Report 1989
Mergers, Takeovers and Monopolies: Profiting from Competition?
Report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

1984

Green Paper
The Trade Practices Act - Proposals for Change (Green Paper)
Discussion paper released by Attorney General, Senator Gareth Evans QC (February 1984)

1979

Blunt Committee
Trade Practices Consultative Committee, Small business and the Trade Practices Act (December 1979)

1976

Swanson Committee 1976
Trade Practices Act Review Committee

International Reports

For more international resources visit my International Competition Law page