At its meeting in November 2017, the COAG Energy Council agreed to progress the following recommendations from the 2013 Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws:
- amending the national energy laws to give the AER the power to compel individuals to appear before it and give evidence (recommendation 13)
- conducting a targeted review of whether additional provisions of the national energy laws or subordinate instruments should attract the highest maximum civil penalty amount (recommendation 5).
Consultation paper
On 30 May 2018 the COAG Energy Council’s Senior Committee of Officials (SCO) released a consultation paper seeking stakeholder input on these issues. On 29 June 2018, the AER provided a submission in response to the SCO consultation paper.
The AER considers that the implementation of a key recommendation of the review, to give the AER the power to compel individuals to appear before it and give evidence, is in the long term interests of consumers and will help the AER to carry out its enforcement functions.
The AER also supports the proposals in the consultation paper with respect to the extension of the highest maximum civil penalty amount to a number of key provisions in national energy laws and subordinate instruments.
AER submission to SCO consultation paper - AER powers and civil penalty regime - 29 June 2018
More information
More information can be found on the COAG EC's website at AER powers and civil penalty regime consultation.