Background to the DOCA
6 The Court has read the seventh plaintiff of the applicant sworn on 23 July 2024 and affidavits of his solicitor sworn on 31 July 2024, 6 August 2024, and 8 August 2024. The plaintiff further relies on six affidavits filed in support of earlier interlocutory applications relating to the Company, including those resulting in judgments in Anderson, in the matter of NT Port and Marine Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) [2023] FCA 3; and Anderson, in the matter of NT Port and Marine Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) (No 2) [2023] FCA 408. In those judgments, I set out some background about the Company's business in the operation of a port situated on Melville Island and the importance of that business to (among others) the people of the Tiwi Islands. It is unnecessary to repeat those observations here.
7 The following additional background is based on the affidavit evidence (which I accept without qualification) and the documents exhibited to them.
8 The plaintiff reports (and I accept) that PT Limited is owed $50,482,489.00. Unsecured trade creditors are owed $347,412.00, excluding a further $2 million that would be provable in a liquidation (but not in the DOCA). On a forced sale of assets in the context of a liquidation, the Company's assets are valued at $1,698,650.00.
9 Administrators were appointed to the Company on 16 December 2022. Since that time, the secured creditors have not sought to enforce their security interests and there is presently no indication that they intend to do so. The efforts of the plaintiff in keeping the business operating have protected the Company's assets (specifically its business as a going concern) for their ultimate benefit.
10 In those efforts, the plaintiff secured funding from the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) pursuant to a Tripartite Deed, applied solely to the purpose of operating the port. That funding is now exhausted. NIAA has since provided further funding pursuant to an extension of the Tripartite Deed. Among other things, the extended funding has enabled the plaintiff to keep the port open for business and to undertake a sale process, which included negotiations for the DOCA and for a back-up Asset Sale Agreement with Port Melville.
11 Port Melville's offer to recapitalise the Company (culminating in the DOCA) was the only binding offer the plaintiff received as a result of the sales process and is the only option available that provides for the Company and its business to remain in existence. The only other available options are the sale of assets under the back-up Asset Sale Agreement or by auction in a forced sale basis on a winding up.
12 The Deed Fund Contribution is comprised of $2,725,000.00 from Port Melville, $2,575,000 from NIAA and $1,500,000.00 from Viva Energy Pty Ltd ACN 004 610 459. The total sum of $6.8 million will be applied in the following order or priorities:
(1) payment of employee creditor claims;
(2) discharge of administration trading liabilities;
(3) payment of the plaintiff's remuneration and expenses both as administrator of the Company and as administrator of the DOCA itself;
(4) repayment of operation funding advanced under the Tripartite Deed; and
(5) payment of dividends to secured and unsecured creditors, with $100,000.00 reserved for the pro-rata payment of the claims of key unsecured creditors.
13 The payment of $100,000.00 to unsecured creditors in priority to payment of secured creditors is to ensure that the key trade creditors continue to trade with the Company so as to ensure that the port can continue to operate.
14 The back-up Asset Sale Agreement was executed on 11 July 2024. If the Court makes orders on the present application, it will have no force or effect. If it does come into force, Port Melville will purchase all of the business, assets and undertaking of the Company for a lesser purchase price of $6,700,000.00. It is the plaintiff's opinion that the back-up Asset Sale Agreement would require at least six weeks to settle and its implementation would come with significant additional legal and administrative costs. Under that agreement, there would be no payment to unsecured creditors of $100,000.00 as provided for in the DOCA.
15 In a report to creditors dated 5 July 2024, the plaintiff provided details of the then-proposed DOCA as well as information necessary to compare the outcome of that proposal to the other likely outcomes for the Company's creditors should the Company be immediately wound up. That opinion is discussed below.