News: TCL UPDATE 1-Australian watchdog permits Transurban-led consortium's WestConnex stake

(Adds quote by ACCC chair, background on ACCC review)

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator said on Thursday it would not oppose a Transurban Ltd-led (TCL) consortium's bid for a majority stake in one of the country's biggest transport infrastructure projects, following undertakings made by the consortium.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said the undertakings included toll traffic data being published for all toll roads in New South Wales state in which Transurban holds stakes.

"Like most observers, we were concerned by Transurban already having a majority interest in 7 out of 9 toll roads in Sydney," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement.

The decision comes about three weeks after the regulator said it was reviewing an undertaking offered by Transurban, the lead member of the Sydney Transport Partners consortium, to publish detailed toll traffic data.

Transurban, Australia's No. 1 toll road operator, announced in July a bid for a 51 percent stake in WestConnex, a A$16.8 billion ($12.3 billion) tollway running through the middle of Sydney.

The ACCC raised initial concerns about the effects on inter-toll road competition from the consortium's proposed stake purchase in the middle of May, and extended the timeline for the review in July.

($1 = 1.3684 Australian dollars)