About energy technical and safety regulation
Electricity and gas utility businesses provide energy supply services to the Australian community and the economy.
Increasingly, electricity and gas businesses are operating across state and territory borders, and this increases administrative complexity for the businesses.
Energy-specific technical and safety regulation is a state and territory responsibility and is implemented through separate state-based legislative instruments.
Energy technical and safety regulation is important for public safety and to ensure workers operate within a safe environment. It enables the provision of safe energy services.
Harmonisation of energy technical and safety regulations is important to enable the efficient and effective delivery of these energy services.
A harmonised approach to regulation lowers the compliance burden for multi-jurisdictional operators and facilitates greater labour mobility and swifter emergency response—especially in the context of skilled labour shortages.
The Energy Supply Industry Safety Committee was established under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Energy Supply Industry Safety to progress this important work.
How is RET involved?
The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET) is the lead Commonwealth agency responsible for the reform initiative, in conjunction with state and territory governments and the energy sector.
More information
For more information about RET's involvement in Australia's energy technical and safety regulation, contact Dr Yili Zhu at yili.zhu@ret.gov.au.
Further information on the Energy Supply Industry Safety Committee can be found on the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER) website.