SPP draft decision
The AER has released a draft decision to classify the Sturt Plateau Pipeline (SPP) as a transmission pipeline.
On 11 February 2026, APA SPP Pty Ltd, the owner and operator of the SPP, applied to the AER for a gas pipeline classification decision for the SPP. APA SPP Pty Ltd sought for the SPP to be classified as a transmission pipeline.
The SPP is located in the Roper Gulf Region in the Northern Territory and will connect Tamboran Resources' gas development in the southern Beetaloo Basin to APA's Amadeus Gas Pipeline.
The SPP is expected to be commissioned later in 2026.
Interested stakeholders are invited to make written submissions on the draft decision by 5pm AEST 17 August 2026.
Submissions should be sent to AERGasReform
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERGasReform[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).
Background
All scheme and non-scheme pipelines must be either classified as a transmission or distribution pipeline.
Following reforms to the gas pipeline regulatory framework in 2023, the AER is responsible for determining the classification of pipelines which are not yet classified and for making decisions about the reclassification of pipelines.
Under section 117 of the National Gas Law, pipeline service providers are required to make a classification application to the AER within 20 business days after the commissioning of a pipeline, which is not yet classified as a distribution or transmission pipeline.
More information on the AER’s classification and reclassification powers can be found in Chapter 6 of the AER’s Regulatory Determinations and Elections Guide.