NT Power Generation v Power & Water Authority [2002] FCAFC 302

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NT Power Generation v Power & Water Authority [2002] FCAFC 302 CROWN IMMUNITY – whether the first respondent is an emanation of the Crown in right of the Northern Territory – whether the first respondent was established for a purpose of the Northern Territory - whether conduct of the first respondent is conduct of the Crown in right of the Northern Territory – statutory authority CROWN IMMUNITY – Crown only bound "so far as the Crown carries on business" - whether the first respondent carried on a business – the extent of the business carried on – whether undertaking a commercial enterprise – whether a systematic and repetitive activity - whether use of own infrastructure by first respondent is the carrying on of a business – electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure CROWN IMMUNITY – whether the second respondent is body corporate in which the Crown or a body corporate established for the purposes of the Territory has a controlling interest - whether the Crown in right of the Northern Territory carries on the business of acquiring power resources by the second respondent – whether the Crown would be prejudiced if required to forgo right of pre-emption in acquiring gas TRADE PRACTICES - Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) s 46 – interaction of s 46 and Part IIIA infrastructure access regime - interaction of s 46 and the due exercise of property rights – first respondent owner of electricity infrastructure - whether the first respondent misused market power – first respondent refused appellant access to its electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure – whether refusal for a proscribed purpose – whether refusal was an exercise of a regulatory function LICENCE – whether a licence granted to the appellant by the respondent included implied terms – whether any error in trial judge's approach to the implied terms question WORDS AND PHRASES 'so far as the Crown carries on a business' Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth)ss 2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 44, 45, 46, 80, 82, 87, Part IIIA Competition Policy Reform (Northern Territory) Act (NT) ss 5, 13, 15, 89 Competition Policy Reform Act 1995 (Cth) s 89, Pt 5 Div 1 Trade Practices Amendment (Telecommunications) Act 1997 (Cth) s 3, Sch 1 cl 1 Power and Water Authority Act (NT) ss 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 28, 29 Federal Court Rules O 52 r 22(3) Electric Light and Power Ordinance (NT) Electricity Commission Ordinance (NT) Electricity Commission Amendment Act 1987 (NT) Water Supply and Sewerage Amendment Act 1987 (NT) Public Service Amendment Act 1987 (NT) Power and Water Authority Amendment Act 1994 (NT) s 5 Public Sector Employment and Management Act (NT) ss 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 28 Financial Management Act (NT) Public Sector Employment and Management (Consequential Amendment) Act 1993 (NT) s 3, Sch 1 Power and Water Authority Amendment Act 2001 (NT) Electricity Networks (Third Party Access) Act (NT) Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) § 2 US Competition Principles Agreement 1995 Conduct Code Agreement 1995 Treaty Establishing the European Community (formerly the European Economic Community Treaty), 25 March 1957, CMND 5179, Article 82 J S McMillan Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1997) 77 FCR 337 Dowling v Dalgety Australia Ltd (1992) 34 FCR 109 Photo-Continental Pty Ltd v Sony (Aust) Pty Ltd (1995) ATPR 41-372 Queensland Wire Industries Pty Ltd v Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ltd (1989) 167 CLR 177 Melway Publishing Pty Ltd v Robert Hicks Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 1 NT Power Generation Pty Ltd v Power and Water Authority [2001] FCA 334; 184 ALR 481 Sydneywide Distributors Pty Ltd v Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd [2002] FCAFC 157 Bradken Consolidated Ltd v The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd (1979) 145 CLR 107 Townsville Hospitals Board v Townsville City Council (1982) 149 CLR 282 State Electricity Commission of Victoria v City of South Melbourne (1968) 118 CLR 504 Launceston Corporation v The Hydro‑Electric Commission (1959) 100 CLR 654 Inglis v Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia (1969) 119 CLR 334 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 335 Corrections Corporation of Australia Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia (2000) 104 FCR 448 Sirway Asia Pacific Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia [2002] FCA 1152 Grain Elevators Board (Vict) v Dunmunkle Corporation (1946) 73 CLR 70 Superannuation Fund Investment Trust v Commissioners of Stamps (SA) (1979) 145 CLR 330 Re Australian Industrial Relations Commission; Ex parte Australian Transport Officers Federation (1990) 171 CLR 216 Concrete Constructions (NSW) Pty Ltd v Nelson (1990) 169 CLR 594 Rolls v Miller (1884) 27 Ch 71 Hope v Bathurst City Council (1980) 144 CLR 1 Re Queensland Co-operative Milling Association Ltd (1976) 8 ALR 481 Melways Publishing Pty Ltd v Robert Hicks Pty Ltd (2001) 75 ALJR 600 M v Home Office [1994] 1 AC 377 Town Investments Ltd v Department of the Environment [1978] AC 359 In Re Residential Tenancies Tribunal of New South Wales and Henderson; Ex parte the Defence Housing Authority(1997) 190 CLR 410 International Railway Company v Niagara Parks Commission [1941] AC 328 Bank Voor Handel en Scheepvaart NV v Slatford [1953] 1 QB 248 Commercial Oil Refiners Pty Ltd v South Australia (1974) 9 SASR 88 Meridian Global Funds Management Asia Ltd v Securities Commission [1995] 2 AC 500 Plume v Federal Airports Corporation (1997) 19 ATPR 41-589 Stirling Harbour Services Pty Ltd v Bunbury Port Authority (2000) 22 ATPR 41-472; on appeal (2000) 22 ATPR 41-783 Allnut v Inglis (1810) 12 East 525, 538; 104 ER 206 Silver v New York Stock Exchange 373 US 341 (1963) Montgomery County Association of Realtors Inc v Reality Photo Master Corporation 878 FSupp 804 (1995) Alaska Airlines Inc v United Airlines Inc 948 F2d 536 (9th Cir 1991) Delaware and Hudson Railway Co v Consolidated Rail Corporation 902 F2d 174 (2d Cir 1990) City of Chanute v Williams National Gas Co 955 F2d 641 (10th Cir 1992) Otter Tail Power Co v United States 410 US 366 (1973) Bronner v Mediaprint [1999] 4 CMLR 112 Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd v Clear Communications Ltd [1995] 1 NZLR 385 van Melle "Refusals to License Intellectual Property Rights: the Impact of RTE v EC Commission (Magill) on Australian and New Zealand Competition Law"(1997) 25 Australian Business Law Review 4 Marshall "Refusals to Supply Under Section 46 of the Trade Practices Act: Misuse of Market Power or Legitimate Business Conduct?"(1996) 8 Bond Law Review 182 Robertson"The primacy of 'purpose' in competition law" (2002) 10 Competition and Consumer Law Journal 42 Hanks and Williams (eds) Trade Practices Act: A Twenty-Five Year Stocktake, Federated Press 2001 Wright, Robinson, 'Injunctive Relief in Cases of Refusal to Supply', Australian Business Law Review 19, 1991 Independent Committee of Inquiry, National Competition Policy Review August 1993 Moore, 'Liability for Acts of Public Servants' (1907) 23 Law Quarterly Review 12 Hogg and Monahan, Liability of the Crown 3rd ed. (2000) Kaysen and Turner Antitrust Policy: An Economic and Legal Analysis (1959) Stigler and Sherwin 'The Extent of the Market' 28 Journal of Law and Economics 555 (1985) Landes and Posner, "Market Power in Antitrust Cases" 94 Harvard Law Review, 937 (1981) Hay, "Market Power in Antitrust" 60 Antitrust Law Journal 807 (1992) Areeda et al, Antitrust Law 2nd ed. (2000) Hovencamp, 'Exclusive Joint Ventures and Antitrust Policy' 73 Columbia Business Law Review, 1 (1995) NT POWER GENERATION PTY LIMITED v POWER AND WATER AUTHORITY AND GASGO PTY LIMITED D13 of 2001 LEE, BRANSON & FINKELSTEIN JJ 2 OCTOBER 2002 SYDNEY (Heard in Darwin)