27Commencement and duration of inquiry

27 Commencement and duration of inquiry

(1) Subject to section 26, before the end of the period of 21 days after the ACCC receives notice of a dispute under subsection 22(1), the ACCC must: (a) commence an inquiry into the dispute; and (b) give written notice to the Minister of the commencement of the inquiry. (2) Subject to subsections (3) and (5) and section 35, an inquiry must be completed not more than 60 days after the inquiry begins. (3) The ACCC may extend the period within which the inquiry is to be completed by a further period of not more than 30 days. (4) The ACCC must give written notice of the extension, and the reasons for the extension, to: (a) the Minister; and (b) the parties. (5) If a party is required or requested to provide information or produce a document (including further and better information or a further document) to the ACCC for the purposes of an inquiry: (a) the period within which the inquiry is to be completed in accordance with subsection (2); or (b) that period as extended in accordance with subsection (3); is increased by the number of days in the period that commences on the day on which the ACCC gives notice to the party of the requirement or the request and ends on: (c) in the case of a requirement—the day on which the party provides the information or produces the document to the ACCC; or (d) in the case of a request—the earlier of: (i) the day on which the party provides the information or produces the document to the ACCC; and (ii) the day specified in the request as the day by which the party may provide the information or produce the document.