On 15 May 2025, Essential Energy applied for a ring-fencing waiver to deliver additional contestable (technical and safety) training courses to the electricity industry, and to establish a training academy with hubs in regional areas of NSW (Parkes, Grafton, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Tamworth and Goulburn). 

Essential Energy is seeking a waiver from clauses 3.1(b), 4.2.1, 4.2.2 and 4.2.3 of the Ring-fencing Guideline (electricity distribution), which would enable Essential Energy to offer two certificate IV courses from 2025 to meet immediate industry demand, ahead of establishing a full training academy by 2027. The facility is proposed to provide accredited training to a broader range of electricity sector participants in regional NSW and help build workforce capability in regional NSW and offer programs relevant to evolving industry needs.

In addition to the waiver application, the AER has published an initiation notice which sets out several of the key issues on which the AER would like to hear from stakeholders.

If approved, the waiver would permit the training academy to operate under this model until 2034.

We invite stakeholders to provide written submissions on this waiver application.

Interested parties are invited to make written submissions to the AER regarding this waiver application by close of business, 5 September 2025.

Submissions should be sent electronically to AERringfencingaer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERringfencing[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au)
Alternatively, submissions can be mailed to:

Ms Stephanie Jolly 

Executive General Manager, Consumer, Policy and Markets Division 

Australian Energy Regulator 

GPO Box 520 Melbourne VIC 3001

The AER prefers that all submissions be publicly available to facilitate an informed and transparent consultative process. Submissions will be treated as public documents unless otherwise requested. Parties wishing to submit confidential information are requested to:

• clearly identify the information that is the subject of the confidentiality claim; and
• provide a non-confidential version of the submission in a form suitable for publication.

All non-confidential submissions will be placed on the AER's website at www.aer.gov.au. For further information regarding the AER's use and disclosure of information provided to it, see the ACCC/AER Information Policy, June 2014 available on the AER's website.

Enquiries about this paper, or about lodging submissions, should be directed to the Policy branch of the AER on 1300 585 165 or AERringfencingaer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERringfencing[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au)