On 16 November 2009, AEMO submitted a rule change request seeking to amend the National Gas Rules.  This is the first rule change request received by the Commission seeking to amend the National Gas Rules.

This rule change request seeks to change the tie-breaking rules AEMO uses to schedule gas withdrawals in the Victorian wholesale gas market under rule 214 of the National Gas Rules.  Currently, multiple controllable withdrawal bids that are considered to be "equally beneficial" to the market are scheduled on a pro-rated basis.  The proposal is to change this situation so that, where multiple controllable withdrawal bids are considered to be "equally beneficial" to the market, controllable withdrawal bids will be prioritised over other bids if the bidder holds Authorised Maximum Daily Quantity units or Authorised Maximum Daily Quantity credits.

AEMO also requested that the Commission have regard to its discretion to dispense with certain steps in the rule change process under transitional provisions (clause 62 of Schedule 3) of the National Gas Law (NGL).  In particular, AEMO requested that the Commission dispense with the step of the first round of public consultation in the rule-making process under the NGL and the discretion under s.307 of the NGL for the Commission to hold a public hearing before it makes a draft Rule determination.

The Commission is now assessing under s.301 of the NGL whether the rule change request meets the statutory requirements for it to proceed with the request under the rule change process.  The Commission is also assessing AEMO's request for it to dispense with certain steps in the rule change process.