Untitled document

National Electricity (Victoria) Amendment Act 2015

No. 46 of 2015

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Section  Page

1Purpose

2Commencement

3Appeals against certain decisions or actions of the AER

4New section 29A inserted

5Repeal of amending Act

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Endnotes

1      General information

National Electricity (Victoria) Amendment Act 2015

No. 46 of 2015

[Assented to 22 September 2015]

The Parliament of Victoria enacts:

1Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to amend the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005 to grant rights to the Minister and consumer or user groups to intervene in appeals against certain decisions and determinations made by the Australian Energy Regulator.

2Commencement

(1)Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed.

(2)If this Act does not come into operation before 1 July 2016, it comes into operation on that day.

3Appeals against certain decisions or actions of the AER

In section 29(4) of the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005—

(a)for "Essential Services Commission Regulations 2001" substitute "Essential Services Commission Regulations 2011";

(b)in paragraph (a), for "regulations 10 and 11" substitute "regulations 11 and 12".

4New section 29A inserted

After section 29 of the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005 insert—

"29A   Interveners in appeals against decisions or determinations under the AMI Order

(1)The following persons are entitled to intervene in an appeal under section 29 against a decision or determination under the AMI Order—

(a)the Minister;

(b)a person who represents a consumer or user group.

(2)For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), a person who represents a consumer or user group includes an end user representative.

(3)A person who intervenes under subsection (1) may raise a ground that an appellant may raise in such an appeal even if the ground is not raised by the appellant.

(4)In this section—

end user means a person who acquires electricity for consumption purposes;

end user representative means any of the following (whether incorporated or unincorporated)—

(a)an association or body—

(i)the members of which include more than one end user; and

(ii)that represents and promotes the interests of those members in relation to the distribution, supply, sale or consumption of electricity;

(b)an association or body—

(i)the members of which may or may not include an end user; and

(ii)that has, as an object or purpose, the object or purpose of representing and promoting the interests of end users in relation to the distribution, supply, sale or consumption of electricity.".

5Repeal of amending Act

This Act is repealed on 1 July 2017.

Note

The repeal of this Act does not affect the continuing operation of the amendments made by it (see section 15(1) of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984).

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ENDNOTES

1   General information

See for Victorian Bills, Acts and current authorised versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.

Minister's second reading speech—

Legislative Assembly: 19 August 2015

Legislative Council: 3 September 2015

The long title for the Bill for this Act was "A Bill for an Act to amend the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005 to grant rights to the Minister and consumer or user groups to intervene in appeals against certain decisions and determinations made by the Australian Energy Regulator and for other purposes."