The Multinet Gas Distribution Network is owned by Multinet Group Holdings Pty Ltd (Multinet Gas) which in turn is owned by CK Infrastructure Holdings Limited, Power Assets Holdings Limited and CK Asset Holding Limited (CK Group). The service providers of the Multinet network are Multinet Gas (DB No.1) Pty Ltd and Multinet Gas (DB No. 2) Pty Ltd which together trade as the Multinet Gas Distribution Partnership. The operation and maintenance of the network is outsourced to the Comdain.
Multinet Gas was formed in 1997, when the Victorian government restructured the state’s gas industry from the government owned monopoly (Gas and Fuel Corporation) into separate distribution and retail businesses. These new businesses were sold to the private sector in 1999. Prior to 15 May 2017, the Multinet Gas Distribution Network was ultimately held by the DUET Group, which was acquired by the CK Group in 2017.
The Multinet network covers an area of 1,790 km2 and serves approximately 700,000 customers throughout the southern and eastern areas of metropolitan Melbourne, Yarra Ranges and towns in south Gippsland. It consists of approximately 166km of transmission pipelines and 10,018km of distribution mains.
The Multinet network was initially subject to regulation as a covered pipeline under the Gas Code by the Essential Services Commission of Victoria (ESC) which was formerly the Office of the Regulator General, Victoria (ORG).
In enacting the National Gas Law and Rules, the National Gas (Victoria) Act 2008 specifies that access arrangements cannot be consolidated for any of the covered pipelines in Victoria (s. 35). In addition, under the National Gas (Victoria) Act 2008, the Victorian Minister has by order published in the Victorian Government Gazette (S222, 30 June 2009) declared that the four distribution pipelines and the transmission pipeline that had been covered under the Gas Code are classified as ‘designated pipelines’. These are the SP AusNet, Envestra (Vic) (now AGN Vic), Multinet and Envestra (Albury) (now AGN Albury) gas distribution networks and the Victorian Transmission System. As a result, these pipelines remain under full regulation and cannot be the subject of a light regulation determination (under ss. 109 and 111 of the NGL).
The Multinet network is subject to full regulation by the AER under the NGR.
