National Gas (South Australia) (Capacity Trading and Auctions) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 6 September 2018.)

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (17:19): The opposition will be supporting this bill. These changes are a result of the consultation paper of October 2016 by Dr Michael Vertigan AC, which considered whether the current short-term trading market for gas was sufficient to deal with latent capacity in the pipelines that we have across Australia, including, of course, South Australia.

At the December COAG council meeting, it was agreed by ministers that South Australia's request to bring forward Dr Vertigan's recommendations should be approved. While Labor was in government, the department of state development, on behalf of the COAG Energy Council, took the lead in drafting the required amendments to the national gas law. We see the value in bringing these reforms forward, and I commend the current state government for moving quickly.

I would like to put on the record our thanks to Dr Vertigan AC for all his hard work in developing this framework. The opposition does not have any questions in committee. We are very pleased with these reforms, and I commend the bill to the chamber.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.