The ACCC has granted authorisation to Australian Banking Association and member banks to continue working together on developing financial relief programs for customers facing hardship as a result of COVID-19

The ACCC releases report detailing approach to authorisations during COVID-19 pandemic

Rod Sims, Competition issues in infrastructure and changes since COVID-19 (speech)

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 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 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.

In her new podcast, Trust Exercise, Dr Katharine Kemp interviews ACCC Chair, Rod Sims, asking the question ‘Can we trust the free market to deliver?’

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

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.‘

Clancy Yates has an opinion piece in today’s SMH discussing how anti-competitive action can help fight virus war.

The ACCC has granted interim authorisation to NT and SA private hospitals and health agencies to cooperate, following similar earlier authorisations in Victoria and Queensland.

‘The ACCC has granted interim authorisation allowing life insurers to co-ordinate to ensure frontline healthcare workers are not excluded from coverage due to potential or actual exposure to COVID-19.‘

‘The ACCC has granted interim authorisation for members of the Australian Securitisation Forum (ASF) to work together to assist smaller lenders to maintain liquidity and issue loans to consumers and small businesses during the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.‘

This follows the federal government announcement of a finance support fund and allows ASF members to coordinate input on how to administer that scheme.