The access undertaking incorporates all amendments required by the QCA in its Final Decision and Secondary Undertaking Notice.

Under this light-handed regulatory framework DBI can negotiate commercial price setting arrangements with customers, rather than be bound to a single reference tariff set by the QCA.

The transition will align DBI's pricing structure with other Australian coal terminals and gives the company the ability to seek infrastructure charges that better reflect the value individual customers place on accessing DBI's services.

DBI said it welcomed the QCA's approval of a transition away from a heavy-handed regulatory model to a light-handed commercial price setting framework in the form of a negotiate-arbitrate regime.

"DBI has commenced confidential negotiations with customers regarding access prices and other price-adjustment mechanisms to apply to each customer under existing access agreements from July 1 2021," it said.

"If agreements cannot be reached, disputes with customers will be referred to arbitration.

"DBI remains optimistic it will be able to reach agreements with all or a majority of its customers, but does not intend to comment on the status of customer negotiations until they are concluded."