Home

ACCC finalises CBH Paddock Planner investigation

Headshot of Jenne Brammer
Jenne BrammerThe West Australian
PGA grain section president and Calingiri farmer Gary McGill is concerned the ACCC probe into CBH’s Paddock Planner has missed the point.
Camera IconPGA grain section president and Calingiri farmer Gary McGill is concerned the ACCC probe into CBH’s Paddock Planner has missed the point. Credit: Danella Bevis

A six-month investigation by the competition regulator into Co-Operative Bulk Handling’s Paddock Planner crop estimates program has concluded that no further action will be taken.

Pastoralists and Graziers grain section president Gary McGill — who referred the matter to the ACCC following an outcry from farmers concerned about how CBH could use their private data — said the fact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission kept referring to the program as an “app” indicated it had “misunderstood the matter.”

The ACCC said in a letter to PGA its decision to conclude the investigation into the Paddock Planner “app” was based on several factors, including that in complying with the Bulk Handling Act, growers were only obligated to provide estimate information for grain delivered to CBH sites.

“CBH has confirmed that it is not compulsory for growers to share information with CBH about grain they do not intend to deliver to CBH,” the ACCC said.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“Use of the PP app is not compulsory and growers are free to provide the mandatory estimate information through CBH’s existing (systems) as they had previously done.

“Growers have full control over who they allow to have access to data uploaded to the app (including CBHs grain marketing arm).”

Mr McGill said the ACCC’s continued reference to Paddock Planner as an “app” showed showed there was an incorrect assessment of the issue.

“Our concerns and why we referred this matter for adjudication was not about the app, the app is just a tool,” he said.

“Our concerns were the Paddock Planner program itself, centring mainly around data security and whether the program would allow for any anti-competitive practices.

“We went to pains to explain to the ACCC last year that was the central issue and we are worried the ACCC hasn’t understood that properly. I don’t see that it has addressed the issue of security of data.”

Mr McGill said the PGA had been concerned CBH would turn Paddock Planner into a compulsory process, so was happy to see ACCC confirm that was not the case.

CBH chairman Simon Stead said CBH was pleased with the outcome.

“Last year we found ourselves in a contentious spot but our intention as an organisation is absolutely pure — we want this information to drive a better network,” he said.

Mr McGill said while it was voluntary for growers to provide the information via Paddock Planner, a 50¢-per-tonne discount offered last harvest — as an incentive to growers providing detailed information via the program — was discriminating against those who chose not to use the new system, and should not be described as an incentive.

Mr Stead said the group was looking to remove the 50¢-per-tonne discount on receival and storage fees.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails