On 23 May 2025, APA Bulloo Interlink Pipeline Pty Ltd (a wholly owned entity of APA Group) submitted to the AER a greenfields incentive determination application for its proposed Bulloo Interlink gas pipeline (Bulloo Interlink). It provided a revised application on 9 July 2025.
The Bulloo Interlink is proposed to be commissioned in 2028 and will connect APA’s South West Queensland Pipeline to its Moomba to Sydney Pipeline.
A greenfields incentive determination means that the pipeline cannot become a scheme pipeline during the operative period (15 years or less) for the determination.
The determination aims to encourage efficient investment in pipeline infrastructure by improving investment certainty, but these benefits need to be weighed against the potential risks of being exempt from full regulation.
Draft Decision
On 28 October 2025, the AER published its draft decision to make a greenfields incentive determination for the Bulloo Interlink.
Our draft decision is to set a shorter operative period of 10 years, rather than the full 15-year period allowed under the National Gas Law sought by APA in its greenfields incentive determination application.
This means the Bulloo Interlink will be a non-scheme pipeline (subject to a lighter form of regulation) upon commissioning. The pipeline will also be exempt from becoming a scheme pipeline (subject to a stronger form of regulation) for the operative period of the determination of 10 years. After the 10-year period, the Bulloo Interlink (absent a scheme pipeline determination) will be a non-scheme pipeline.
Invitation for submissions
We encourage and invite stakeholders to provide submissions on our draft decision so these can be considered as we make our final decision.
Written submissions or requests to make a submission via alternative methods should be emailed by 5pm AEDT, Tuesday 25 November 2025 to GasPipelineExemptions
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (GasPipelineExemptions[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).