The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has granted interim authorisation* to the St George Region of Councils to allow them to begin a tender process for joint kerbside waste and recycling collection services in their local government areas.
The St George Region of Councils comprises Hurstville City Council, Kogarah Municipal Council and Rockdale City Council. One of the service functions of each council under the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) is the provision, management or operation of waste and recycling collection services.
The councils applied for authorisation on 27 October 2006 to jointly tender and contract for the provision of all kerbside waste and recycling collection services in their local government areas.
Interim authorisation was also requested so that a tender process can be commenced while the ACCC considers the substantive application.
The ACCC does not consider that the market dynamics will be permanently altered by the councils commencing a joint tender process. Interim authorisation does not allow the councils to enter into any contractual arrangements at the conclusion of the tender process.
The granting of interim authorisation in no way binds the ACCC in its consideration of the substantive application for authorisation.
More information regarding the application and granting of interim authorisation, including the terms, is available on the ACCC website, by following the links Public registers, Authorisations and notifications registers and Authorisations register.