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Consumer Reference Group - Gas Rate of Return Instrument

The National Gas Law requires the ERA to produce a gas rate of return instrument. The gas instrument sets out the methods the ERA will use to estimate the allowed rate of return and value of imputation credits for gas transmission and distribution service providers. These regulated gas pipelines are the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, the Goldfields Gas Pipeline and the Mid-West and South-West Gas Distribution Systems.

The ERA will review the current gas instrument and replace it with the 2022 Gas Instrument. This provides an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive review of approaches for determining the allowed rate of return on capital.

As part of the consultation process for the 2022 gas instrument review, the ERA will seek input from a Consumer Reference Group. The Consumer Reference Group provides direct and ongoing feedback to the ERA during the gas instrument review process that represents broad consumer perspectives. This is to balance what may otherwise be seen as a process in which only service providers have input to the ERA’s determinations.

The Consumer Reference Group has a core consumer focus and advocates strongly for all consumers, including future consumers.

The members of the Consumer Reference Group are:

Dr John Fallon (Chair)
Dr Fallon’s areas of expertise are economic regulation, public finance, quantitative analysis, and economic modelling, among others. Dr Fallon has expertise in regulatory arrangements for private and public monopoly-type entities.

Mr. Paul Keay
Mr Keay is currently working in private consulting assisting large commercial and industrial customers and energy market participants with strategies to manage risk and commercial terms in Western Australian energy markets (electricity, gas, and coal).

Ms. Adrienne LaBombard
Ms LaBombard is the Manager of Industry Competitiveness at the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CMEWA).
The CMEWA is the peak resources sector representative body in Western Australia. Many of its member companies are large industrial consumers of natural gas.

Mr. Graham Hansen
Mr Hansen is a senior policy officer at the WA Council of Social Service (WACOSS). Mr Hansen represents WACOSS on a range of consumer, regulatory and policy committees.

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Page last updated: 11 Oct 2022