Re: Hamersley and BHP joint operations (was Re: Hamersley and NCC)

[G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert)]

John Cleverdon <johnc@cdi.com.au> wrote:

>Another interesting report, that I first read in the "Hun" a couple of weeks
>back, and also mentioned at
>http://www.bhp.com.au/press/bhp_press/data/19990615a.htm, is that BHP and Rio
>Tinto have been considering some sort of joint venture for their Pilbara iron
>ore operations.
>Apparently, this may concentrate in the transport area.

>John

(I guess everybody knows this, but in the light of the above message,
perhaps not)

Rio Tinto took BHP to the Federal Court to try and force the issue of
BHP providing access to BHP tracks for Rio Tinto's trains for a new
Rio Tinto development.  In this action, they were backed by Alan Fels
and the Consumer and Competition Commission (correct name?), on the
grounds of "open access".

At any event, last Monday morning the Federal Court ruled against this
claim.

There was some speculation by media analysts after the event that the
cooperation might occur anyway, but given the level of aggro.
involved, most people seemed to think that Rio Tinto will just have to
build their own separate parallel railway, said to cost several
hundred million $$, and to carry, I think,  29 million tonnes per year
for about 10 years.

Geoff Lambert