2010 Master Plan Customer Vote
The Authority has pre-approved the scope of nine projects included in QR Network's 2010 master plan for the central Queensland coal region.
QR Network's 2010 access undertaking provides for the Authority to pre-approve the scope of QR Network's future capital expenditure in the central Queensland coal region if the nature of the works is detailed in QR Network's master planning and if at least 60% of affected customers do not oppose the scope of the works.
Following a customer vote process completed in February 2011, QR Network sought pre-approval from the Authority for the scope of $350 million of projects. QR Network did not seek pre-approval for the scope of $1.1 billion of projects included in the master plan and put to customer vote as it failed to receive the required level of support from affected customers. QR Network has indicated that it will seek approval for the scope of these projects when it submits a draft amending access undertaking for the Goonyella Abbot Point Expansion reference tariff and any consequential variations to the Newlands reference tariff.
The Authority approved QR Network's application on 19 May 2011 on the basis that QR Network had complied with the relevant requirements of its access undertaking.
While nine projects received sufficient support from customers, some of those customers raised significant complaints about the Coal Rail Infrastructure Master Plan voting process and, in particular, the quality of information about the projects they received from QR Network.
The Authority's decision, and letters from those stakeholders who agreed to make their comments public, are available for download below.
Decision / Recommendation
Submissions
