Remarks today that proposed regulation for grain export terminals is a rollback of deregulation are mistaken.
“Proposed regulations on grain terminals are about access to infrastructure not the growing or marketing of grain,” Queensland Senator Matthew Canavan said.
“In Australia, where there is an infrastructure bottleneck, we have regulations to ensure that the bottleneck does not become a monopoly.
“We have industry-specific regulations for telecommunications, gas, electricity, the postal system, the payments system and rail and ports in many States.
“Those that talk of ‘de-regulation’ must take their argument to its logical conclusion, and argue against all of these infrastructure regulatory regimes as well.
“In Queensland, grain growers have very few choices but to export grain through port terminals owned by one company. That company accounts for around 80 to 90 per cent of the throughput of ports on the eastern coast.
“There is a clear case for regulation given this concentration and that is why the mandatory code of conduct has been proposed.”
2 September 2014
