The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) is responsible for the regulation of gas transmission and distribution networks under the national gas law in all jurisdictions except Western Australia.
The AER is currently considering approaches to best manage the assessment of a number of access arrangement proposals from regulated gas distribution businesses that are due to be submitted to the AER in September and October 2010. The AER expects to receive access arrangement proposals from the following businesses:
Queensland distribution businesses
- APT Allgas Network – due 30 September 2010
- Envestra (Qld) Gas Network – due 01 October 2010
South Australian distribution businesses
- Envestra (SA) Gas Network – due 01 October 2010
The AER is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified consultants to provide services to the AER in relation to its upcoming assessment of the access arrangement proposals listed above. In particular, expressions of interest are sought from consultants who could provide technical advice to the AER with regard to the forecasts or estimates of capital expenditure, operating expenditure and demand for gas in markets serviced by these networks in the access arrangement proposals from one or more of the distributors listed above.
The consultant would be required to provide advice that would be considered by the AER in making a decision about the distributors’ access arrangement proposals under the National Gas Rules. In particular, section 79 sets out the criteria for capital expenditure and section 91 sets out the criteria for operating expenditure. The consultant(s) would be primarily concerned with providing technical advice about the proposed forecasts or estimates of capital expenditure and operating expenditure forecasts proposed by the distributors and not with assessing compliance with the gas rules. The AER takes into consideration its consultants views in making its decisions about these access arrangement proposals.
The AER’s decisions are subject to merits review by the Australian Competition Tribunal and judicial review in the Federal Court. The consultant’s analysis and reports must be produced at a standard for consideration in this context if required.
Expressions of interest are sought by 5 pm on 23 April 2010 and can be emailed to QLDSAgas
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (QLDSAgas[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).
Inquiries regarding this call for expressions of interest should be directed to Gwenda Gleeson.
Disclaimer: The Commonwealth is not committed contractually in any way to those parties registering a preliminary expression of interest. This request does not commit or otherwise oblige the Commonwealth to proceed with any part of the requirement described herein.