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Grid Australia and network businesses advise SCER on potential changes to the Limited Merits Review regime
13 February 2013
In this submission, Grid Australia and the Energy Networks Association (ENA) separately supported the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER) position that some form of limited merits review should be retained. Both organisations also supported adoption of a modified version of one of the Options proposed by SCER for consideration, with the following features:
- The Australian Competition Tribunal (ACT) should be retained as the review body, with some changes to its operation;
- A "correct and preferable" ground for appeal should be applied, rather than the more ambiguous "materially preferable" ground proposed by the SCER; and
- Consumer engagement in the process will be significantly improved by the SCER's 2012 commitment to establish a Consumer Challenge Panel and in-principle support for a National Energy Consumer Advocacy body.
In support of this model, Grid Australia as well as the ENA noted that a number of initiatives have already been adopted to address concerns with network price regulation. These include giving the Australian Energy Regulator enhanced discretion and providing new mechanisms to enhance consumer engagement throughout the price setting process. Assessing the proposed options for the future merits review process needs to take these initiatives into account.
Read the submission PDF [324.12 kB]
