Briefs

Airservices rebuff

The competition regulator will block Airservices Australia's plans to increase charges to airlines. It fears the agency will "over-recover" costs by $49 million. The air traffic control operator wants to raise fees over five years for navigation and firefighting.

IRON ORE

Atlas tightens gripAtlas Iron has declared its takeover offer for fellow iron ore miner FerrAus unconditional. Atlas said it had relevant interest in 60.48 per cent of FerrAus. The offer is unanimously recommended by the FerrAus board.

AIRPORTS

Passenger tally up

Australian Infrastructure Fund has reported a 1.2 per cent rise in passenger numbers at its Perth and Melbourne airports in July despite damage caused by the suspension of Tiger Airways.

A rise in international passengers offset a small domestic drop.

PROPERTY

New build deal

Stockland Group has approval from the Urban Land Development Authority in Queensland to build 700 homes, a village centre and three parks on a 65-hectare site at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.

TELECOMS

Customer code

Telephone and internet companies have five months to write a new customer service code or face tougher regulation. After a 15-month inquiry into poor standards of service, the Australian Communications and Media Authority found that the weighting towards self-regulation, "no longer suits the diverse and dynamic nature of the industry, at least for consumer matters".