On 26 September 2017 the AEMC published a final rule determination and final rule in relation to the Improvements to Natural Gas Bulletin Board rule change request. The rule change request received from the COAG Energy Council proposed changes to enhance the breadth and accuracy of information provided to the market through the natural gas Bulletin Board.

The final rule contains minor amendments to the draft rule to address issues raised in submissions by stakeholders to the draft rule relating to the operation and implementation of the rule. These changes are:

1. Cost recovery provisions: a new rule has been added in Part 15A of the National Gas Rules (NGR) to allow AEMO to recover costs for providing services as operator of the Bulletin Board as a component of participant fees

2. Declared Transmission system (DTS) pipelines: the final rule aligns, to the degree possible, the information requirements for DTS pipelines with information requirements for other BB pipelines

3. Exemptions: have been added to provide AEMO with discretion to exempt, on a case-by-case basis:

(a) reporting entities where information is already provided by another reporting entity

(b) lateral gathering pipelines where the information that would be provided is not material having regard to the purpose of the Bulletin Board

4. Implementation: parts of the final rule will commence on different dates:

(a) the BB procedures must be prepared and implemented by 30 April 2018

(b) the new cost recovery provisions in Part 15A and the removal of the cost recovery provisions in Part 18 will commence 15 May 2018

(c) the others parts of the rules will commence on 30 September 2018.

Background

On 18 April 2017 the AEMC received a rule change request from the COAG Energy Council in relation to improvements to the natural gas Bulletin Board.

The rule change request would amend Part 18 of the National Gas Rules (NGR). The purpose of the request is to:

• clarify the purpose of the Bulletin Board
• remove the current zonal model and establish a new reporting model
• exempt remote and non-connected pipelines from reporting obligations
• include regional pipelines and facilities and facilities attached to distribution pipelines
• establish a new registration framework and threshold
• include a reporting standard
• remove the market participant and Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) cost recovery provisions
• add a new biennial reporting requirement for AEMO.

Fast-track process

On 13 June 2017 the Commission initiated the rule change request under the fast-track process. Under the fast-track process there was no first round consultation.

The rule change request was fast-tracked as it reflects the recommendations contained in the Final Report – Information Provision, East Coast Wholesale Gas Market and Pipeline Frameworks Review. Further, the AEMC consulted extensively with stakeholders on the subject matter, recommendations and conclusions contained in the final report as part of the review process.