Reforms to the gas pipeline regulatory framework commenced in March 2023, which made various changes to the framework for resolving gas pipeline access disputes under the National Gas Law (NGL) and National Gas Rules (NGR). Under the reforms, the AER is required to publish a pipeline access dispute guide (the Guide).
The Guide is intended to provide guidance to arbitrators, mediators and those who may become party to an access dispute about the access dispute resolution process under the NGL and NGR.
On 28 September 2023, the AER published a draft Guide for consultation. The draft Guide set out:
- the pathways to resolve an access dispute under the NGR and NGL
- the procedures for starting an access dispute and the hearing of access disputes
- the matters that the AER, arbitrator or mediator must consider in deciding how to resolve the dispute, and the effect of their decisions
- procedural issues involved in the dispute resolution process.
We expect to publish a final Guide by the end of 2023.
This Guide only provides guidance on gas pipelines access disputes. It does not provide guidance on other disputes under the national energy regime.
For guidance and information on other disputes, please refer to these pages: