Grains marketer GrainCorp wants less regulation at its Carrington grain terminal in Newcastle, NSW, because there are now two other bulk wheat export terminals competing against it.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Thursday said it was seeking views on whether the scope of regulation at GrainCorp's Carrington terminal should be reduced.
"GrainCorp has proposed that its Carrington terminal in Newcastle be subject to less access regulation because it now faces competition from two other bulk wheat export terminals," the ACCC said in a statement.
"GrainCorp states that the recently completed Newcastle Agri Terminal is due to receive grain shortly, while Louis Dreyfus has operated a joint-venture facility since 2011."
The ACCC said GrainCorp had noted that the two competing facilities were not subject to access regulation and argued that the company was, therefore, at a competitive disadvantage.
GrainCorp said the incentive was there to continue to provide exporters with open access to its terminal given that significant excess capacity was now available to wheat exporters at Newcastle.
Shares in GrainCorp were five cents higher at $8.27 at 1101 AEDT.
