Electricity Supply Industry Concession Order 2015 (TAS)

The Tasmanian Government, represented by the Minister for Treasury, Peter Gutwein, issued the Electricity Supply Industry Concession Order 2015, which sets out the concessions for electricity supply for eligible persons. The order outlines the eligibility criteria for different concessions, such as the life support concession, medical cooling or heating concession, and annual electricity concession, as well as the method of providing these concessions. The primary legal issue before the court was whether the concessions established by the order were within the scope of the powers granted to the Minister under the Electricity Supply Industry Act 1995. The court found that the order was valid as the concessions provided by the order were within the statutory powers of the Minister, as they were designed to assist eligible persons with specific needs, such as those requiring home-based life support machines or those with medical conditions that necessitated cooling or heating of their residences. The court further determined that the order did not exceed the powers granted to the Minister and was in line with the objectives of the Electricity Supply Industry Act 1995. Consequently, the court upheld the validity of the order. The order was upheld, and the concessions for electricity supply as outlined in the order were declared valid.