The ACCC ahs granted interim authorisation to Virgin Australia and Alliance Airlines to cooperate on 41 regional routes and two short-haul international routes.

The ACCC has granted authorisation to enable several Councils in Queensland to jointly procure recyclables processing services for three years, after finding that the proposed conduct would produce some public benefits and little (if any) public detriment.

The ACCC has issued a determination granting authorisation to Darebin City Council’s amended authorisation which allows certain Victorian local councils to pool their electricity demand and place a single tender for retail electricity services and renewable energy certificates.

The ACCC has granted conditional authorisation to the Australian New Zealand Industrial Gas Association for it, its members, related bodies corporate and other suppliers of medical oxygen to hospitals to allow them to ‘exchange information and make and give effect to contracts, arrangements and understandings to ensure security of supply of medical oxygen to hospitals and similar medical facilities during the COVID‑19 pandemic‘.

ACCC: “The Australian Competition Tribunal has granted authorisation for a new consumer code for retailers of ‘new energy tech’ products, varying the conditions from those previously imposed by the ACCC in relation to “buy now pay later” (BNPL) finance providers.”

The ACCC has granted authorisation to the Australian Institute of Petroleum and major oil refiners to continue cooperating to improve fuel security during the pandemic.

The ACCC will allow the Battery Stewardship Council to establish and operate a ‘national scheme for managing expired batteries’.

The ACCC has announced that supermarket operators will be allowed to continue cooperating ‘to ensure supply of food and groceries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’.

The ACCC has granted an authorisation for the NSW Minerals Council and ten coal producers to collectively bargain with the Port of Newcastle in relation to the export of coal and other materials.

The ACCC has authorised Ingham’s Group and other chicken processors to work together to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the chicken meat industry.

The ACCC has authorised collective negotiation for retailers when dealing with landlords.

The ACCC has issued a draft authorisation for continued coordination of flights between Rex, Qantas and Virgin on 10 regional routes in response to COVID-19. An interim authorisation was granted in March.

The ACCC is proposing to allow The Australian Institute of Petroleum and major oil refiners to continue to cooperate on measures designed to ensure fuel security during the COVID-19 pandemic. An interim authorisation was granted in April.

The ACCC has issued a draft authorisation determination proposing to allow supermarket operators to continue working together until March 2021 to ensure continued supply of food and groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic. An interim authorisation had previously been granted.

The ACCC has re-authorised APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association Limited) to continue acquisition and licensing arrangements for four years, subject to conditions designed to improve transparency of APRA’s licensing and distribution arrangements.

The ACCC as proposed authorising private and public hospitals and government health authorities to continue working together in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The ACCC proposes to allow the NSW Minerals Council and ten coal producers to collectively negotiate the terms and conditions, including price, of access to the Port of Newcastle for the export of coal and other minerals.”

The ACCC has announced that it is ‘proposing to allow insurance companies and brokers to continue coordination and implementation of temporary COVID-19 relief measures for certain small businesses.‘

The team at K&L Gates has put together a helpful guide to industry collaboration approvals by the ACCC as a result of COVID-19.

‘The ACCC has granted new interim authorisation for an expanded range of measures allowing participants in the gas and electricity markets to work together to help safeguard Australia’s energy supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.‘