Territory Stories

Annual Report 2014/2015 Utilities Commission

Details:

Title

Annual Report 2014/2015 Utilities Commission

Other title

Tabled paper 1571

Collection

Tabled Papers for 12th Assembly 2012 - 2016; Tabled Papers; ParliamentNT

Date

2015-11-19

Description

Deemed

Notes

Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory under Standing Order 240. Where copyright subsists with a third party it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.

Language

English

Subject

Tabled papers

Place of publication

Darwin

File type

application/pdf

Use

Copyright

Copyright owner

See publication

License

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C01590

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/273186

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/799701

Page content

3 Chapter 2: About the Commission The Commission is an independent statutory body with defined roles and functions for economic regulation in the electricity, water and sewerage industries and declared ports in the Territory. The Commissions role as economic regulator for declared ports commences once a private port operator is appointed. The Commission was established on 21 March 2000 by the Utilities Commission Act as part of an economic framework for regulated industries that promotes and safeguards competition and fair and efficient market conduct or, in the absence of a competitive market, promotes the simulation of competitive market conduct and the prevention of misuse of monopoly power. Roles and Functions of the Commission The Commissions functions and powers are defined in the Utilities Commission Act, with specific responsibilities with respect to a particular industry assigned to the Commission by provisions in relevant industry regulation Acts. The Commission currently has responsibilities assigned in the electricity, water and sewerage services industries. The Ports Management Act for the control, management and operation of ports commenced on 9 June 2015. The Act, among other things, establishes the Commission as regulator for port access and price regulation once a private port operator is appointed to a declared port. The key regulatory functions of the Commission are to: regulate prices charged by government and other businesses for providing certain monopoly services and certain services in regulated industries; perform licensing functions; develop, monitor and enforce compliance with, and promote improvement in, standards and conditions of service and supply; make, and monitor the operation of, codes and rules relating to the conduct or operations of a regulated industry or licensed entities; investigate and help resolve complaints relating to the conduct or operations of licensed entities; assist consumers and others with information; and advise the Minister on any matter referred by the Minister. The relevant industry regulation Acts applying to the electricity supply industry are the: Electricity Reform Act; and Electricity Networks (Third Party Access) Act. From 1 July 2015, responsibility for network price regulation and oversight of network access in accordance with the Electricity Networks (Third Party Access) Act and Code was transferred to the AER.