The Press Release dates way back to Dec 01:
http://www.ministers.dotars.gov.au/j.../a269_2001.htm
15t is the cutoff.
You are quite correct.
My mistake to interpret that QF as the winners. In fact anyone actually competing against Qantas with less than 15t would have been in front.
So was this aimed as a rescue to Flight West (EMB120 MTOW 11.5t), at the time?