Three new board members are joining the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) with Justin Oliver and Catriona Lowe commencing this week and Eric Groom PSM beginning later in February 2020. These appointments are the result of Commonwealth legislation to increase the size of the AER Board from three to five.
New board member Justin Oliver - based in Brisbane - commences today, Monday 3 February 2020. Catriona Lowe (Melbourne) commences on Thursday 6 February, with Eric Groom PSM (Sydney) on Monday 24 February. All appointments are for five years.
Mr Oliver was most recently a partner with MinterEllison, specialising in competition law and energy regulation. Previously he was the head of the Australian Consumer and Competition’s (ACCC) regulatory law practice and has worked as a senior lawyer in the Victorian Premier’s Department.
Ms Lowe is an experienced litigation lawyer and consumer advocate. She was involved with the introduction of the Victorian Default Offer, chaired the ACCC’s Consumer Consultative Committee and was co-CEO of the Consumer Action Law.
Mr Groom has extensive experience as an economist with a focus on regulation, energy efficiency and carbon emissions reduction. He was a long-term staff member of New South Wales’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), worked on the AER’s 2013 Better Regulation Review and has been a member of our Consumer Challenge Panel
The AER’s expanded board highlights the growth of the organisation and its increased role in ensuring Australian energy consumers are better off now and in the future.