Reforms to the gas pipeline regulation framework commenced in March 2023. Under the reforms, the AER is required to publish a Regulatory determinations and elections guide (the Guide). The release of the Guide forms part of the AER’s work arising under the gas pipeline regulatory reforms, which commenced in March 2023. Under the reforms, the AER is now responsible for determining the regulatory treatment of gas pipelines.
The Guide sets out:
- the AER’s powers and functions relating to the determining the level of regulation of gas pipelines (form of regulation determinations), regulation of new pipelines (greenfields determinations), and classification and reclassification of pipelines.
- the process for making applications for form of regulation determinations and greenfields determinations
- how we will assess form of regulation determinations and greenfields determinations and how we will apply the relevant statutory tests
- the process for making pipeline classification and reclassification applications and decisions.
On 16 June 2023, the AER published a draft Guide for consultation. We invited stakeholders to provide submissions by 26 July 2023. We published a final Guide on 12 September 2023.