Natural gas is expected to play a key transitional role in meeting Australia's energy needs as we move towards a carbon constrained economy. With associated growth in the use of natural gas for electricity generation, there are also growing links and interdependencies between the gas and electricity markets.
The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism drives Commonwealth gas market policy in the energy market reform program being implemented by the Ministerial Council on Energy 
. Key streams of this program include the development of a national regulatory regime for gas pipelines and retail markets, and further market development to improve transparency, competition and trading opportunities.The MCE has also established the Gas Market Leaders Group (GMLG), a collection of key representatives from all sectors of the gas supply and demand chain, to further reform the operation of gas markets around the country. The GMLG:
- developed a gas market Bulletin Board, a website which provides daily information about gas infrastructure and gas supply and demand, and provides market participants with opportunities for trading gas
- designed a new gas wholesale trading market, to be implemented in Sydney and Adelaide initially, with Brisbane expected to follow in 2011; and
- developed the annual Gas Statement of Opportunities, published by the Australian Energy Market Operator. This document provides a source of information to assist industry participants and other interested parties in their planning and identification of potential investment opportunities and is also an information tool for policy makers examining the projected short and long-term reliability of the nation’s gas supply.
Further information on all of these reforms is available at the Ministerial Council on Energy website.