Late state intervention swings Newcastle quota approval

摘要

A last-minute submission by the New South Wales government has proved significant in the decision to extend the Newcastle tonnage quota system for the first quarter of 2009. The quota extension was approved late last year by the Australian competition regulator, the ACCC, despite some strong protests from influential entities in the Newcastle coal chain. It has since emerged that a late submission by the New South Wales government has been given perhaps crucial weight in the ACCC's deliberations on the quota, known officially as the Capacity Balancing System (CBS).