Labor leader, Luke Foley is welcoming a decision by the competition Watchdog to examine the privatisation of the Port of Newcastle.
The state government leased the Port in 2013 for 98 years in return for $1.75billion, keeping the details under wraps until after the deal was done, saying it was commercial in confidence.
The state opposition claims a secret deal was done at the time which prevents the Port of Newcastle developing a container terminal and imposes a penalty should this occur.
It's claimed the deal was done to boost the sale price of Port Botany by selling its container business as a NSW monopoly
A whistle-blower has leaked details of the arrangement, prompting the A-triple-C probe.
Luke Foley claims the deal has hobbled the Hunter's economy.
"It is astonishing that any government would enter into a secret deal so deliberately designed to hut Newcastle's economic development," he said.
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| NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley |
