On 28 February 2025, TasNetworks submitted a cost pass through application seeking to recover the costs it has incurred as a result of the August-September 2024 storm in Tasmania. This weather event caused significant damage to overhead power lines, with fallen trees and poles across all regions of Tasmania, leading to widespread power outages. In total, over 1,920 outages affected more than 221,000 customers, many of whom experienced multiple interruptions. Some remote and complex outages took up to 23 days to be restored.
Invitation for submissions
We invite energy consumers and other interested parties to make submissions on TasNetworks’ cost pass through application by close of business 22 April 2025.
The AER’s role is to determine whether a positive change event as defined in the National Electricity Rules (NER) has occurred, and if so, what is the incremental revenue amount which should be passed through to network users. In order to best assist and inform the AER in making its determination, interested parties may wish to address the following questions:
- Does the August-September 2024 storm event meet the definition of a cost pass through event under clause 6.6.1(a1) of the NER and TasNetworks’ current revenue determination?
- Is the increase in costs that TasNetworks has incurred as a result of the event material?
- Are the costs identified by TasNetworks incremental to costs already allowed for in its current revenue determination, and related solely to the occurrence of the pass through event?
- Are the decisions and actions TasNetworks has taken in relation to the event efficient?
- Are there any other factors the AER should take into account in making its determination?
Submissions should be emailed Attention: Arek Gulbenkoglu, General Manager, Network Expenditure at costpassthroughs
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (costpassthroughs[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).
Alternatively, you may mail submissions to:
Mr Arek Gulbenkoglu
General Manager
Australian Energy Regulator
GPO Box 520
Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
We prefer that all submissions be publicly available to facilitate an informed and transparent consultative process. We will treat submissions as public documents unless otherwise requested. All non-confidential submissions will be placed on the AER's website. For further information regarding the AER's use and disclosure of information provided to it, see the ACCC/AER Information Policy.
We request parties wishing to submit confidential information:
- clearly identify the information that is the subject of the confidentiality claim
- provide a non-confidential version of the submission in a form suitable for publication.