Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd v National Competition Council [1999] FCA 867

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd v National Competition Council [1999] FCA 867 TRADE PRACTICES – access to services – application for declaration recommendation of a service – whether rail track service is a "service" within the meaning of s. 44B of Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) – whether use of the rail track service would be the use of a production process – meaning of "the use of a production process" – legislative purpose of exclusion of the use of a production process – whether access determination would deprive provider of a protected contractual right – whether protected contractual rights question hypothetical, theoretical, or academic – Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 44B, subss 44W(1)(c) and (5). Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), Part IIIA, ss 44B, 44F, 44U, 44V and 44W Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), ss 21, 22 HG v R (1999) 160 ALR 554 referred RW Miller & Co Pty Ltd v Krupp (Australia) Pty Ltd (1991) 34 NSWLR 129 applied Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 6) (1996) 64 FCR 79 applied Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd (1981) 12 ATR 429 discussed Deputy Federal Commissioner of Taxation (Qld) v Stronach (1936) 55 CLR 305 referred Federal Commissioner of Taxation v ICI Australia Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 529 referred Rail Access Corporation v New South Wales Minerals Council Ltd (1998) 158 ALR 323 discussed Mills v Meeking (1990) 169 CLR 214 referred Project Blue Sky Inc. v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 153 ALR 490 referred Government Insurance Office (NSW) v R J Green & Lloyd Pty Ltd (1966) 114 CLR 437 referred State Government Insurance Commission v Steven Bros. Pty Ltd (1984) 154 CLR 552 referred Commissioner of Taxation v Northwest Iron Co Ltd (1986) 9 FCR 463 discussed Commissioner of Taxation v Reynolds Australia Alumina Ltd (1987) 18 FCR 29 discussed Robe River Mining Co Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1990) 21 ATR 1068 discussed Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564 discussed Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 421 discussed University of New South Wales v Moorhouse (1975) 133 CLR 1 applied Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [1999] HCA 9 (unreported, Gleeson CJ, Gaudron, McHugh, Gummow, Hayne and Callinan JJ, 24 March 1999) referred Re Tooth & Co Ltd (1978) 31 FLR 314 applied Commonwealth v Sterling Nicholas Duty Free Pty Ltd (1972) 126 CLR 297 referred Oil Basins Ltd v The Commonwealth of Australia (1993) 178 CLR 643 distinguished Queensland Mines Ltd v Northern Land Council (1990) 68 NTR 1 distinguished HAMERSLEY IRON PTY LTD (ACN 004 558 276) v THE NATIONAL COMPETITION COUNCIL & ORS VG 581 of 1998 KENNY J