Transportation & Infrastructure

A New South Wales developer will mount a challenge to a Full Court decision that tossed the ACCC’s competition case against NSW Ports over an agreement to privatise two ports, arguing the majority ruling was “plainly wrong”.

Multiple class actions against Downer EDI over accounting irregularities might be bound for the High Court as complex legal questions swirl, a judge said on Wednesday.

A judge has largely granted a bid by port operations provider Engage Marine to obtain copies of restricted documents in the ACCC’s case against TasPorts as it mounts its own case against the government-owned body, despite noting that principles of open justice don’t dictate an “open slather” approach to documents.

More class action law firms have pounced on Downer EDI’s “accounting irregularities” that led to the company overstating profits by up to $40 million.

If Qantas triumphs in its High Court appeal of a ruling that found it violated the Fair Work Act when it outsourced ground crew at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would create a “whack-a-mole” legal right to terminate disadvantaged people, the Transport Workers Union has argued.

Infrastructure services company Downer EDI has been hit with a class action after revealing “accounting irregularities” that sent its share price tumbling.

Transport for NSW has refused to hand over transactional documents related to its $16 billion Westconnex project in a class action over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of land to construct the tunnel in inner western Sydney. 

Port operations provider Engage Marine is seeking to obtain copies of restricted documents in the ACCC’s case against TasPorts, as it mounts its own competition suit against the Tasmanian government-owned body.

In a class action long delayed by a battle over foreign shareholders, BHP Group has finally filed a defence, denying it misled shareholders over a failed Brazilian dam and saying knowledge about the risk of collapse cannot be imputed to the Melbourne-headquartered energy giant.

A complaint has been lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against Etihad Airways for allegedly making false or misleading statements about its greenhouse gas emissions and plans for achieving net zero emissions.