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PLUMBING CONNECTION
SPRING 2016
HOW GASFITTINGWORKS IN
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
W
estern Australia is
considered by many to
be the backbone of the
Australian economy. The Wildflower
State provides approximately 46%
of all Australian exports, a major one
being liquefied natural gas (LNG). WA
accounts for 85% of Australia’s LNG
exports and almost 10% of the world’s
LNG exports.
As for residential gas and electricity,
the utilities first came to the isolated
city of Perth in the late 19th century.
With it came exciting opportunities of
economic growth but also the need for
regulation.
ENERGYSAFETY WA – TECHNICAL AND
SAFETY REGULATOR
The primary regulator of the
electrical and gas industry in Western
Australia is EnergySafety, which began
its operations in the 1940s under
the name of the State Electricity
Commission of Western Australia.
In 2002, in a restructure of the
public service, the regulator became
known as EnergySafety.
In 2006/07 the government body
became fully industry funded through
licensing charges and industry
levies. So the cost of EnergySafety’s
operations is now fully met by those
who benefit from its services.
Today EnergySafety functions as
a division of the Western Australian
Department of Commerce. This
department has five divisions, all
relevant to the gasfitting industry;
consumer protection, labour relations,
WorkSafe, industry and innovation and
the building commission.
The principal functions of the
organisation include:
∫ administering electricity and gas
technical and safety legislation and
providing policy and legislative advice
to the minister and the government;
∫ setting and enforcing minimum
safety standards for gas networks;
∫ enforcing natural gas and LP gas
quality standards;
∫ ensuring satisfactory consumer
billing by gas suppliers,
administering the regulatory scheme
that determines the ‘higher heating
value’ of natural gas in distribution
systems subject to the mixing of gas
from different sources;
∫ providing technical advice and
support to the Economic Regulation
Authority (ERA) and the energy
ombudsman;
∫ investigating the performance of
gas network operators, particularly
in respect of energy supply reliability
and quality;
∫ setting and enforcing minimum
safety standards for consumer gas
installations;
∫ setting and enforcing safety of
consumer gas appliances;
∫ licensing gas fitters and carrying out
accident investigations and
IN THE LAST EDITION OF PLUMBING CONNECTION WE LOOKED AT HOW THE GASFITTING INDUSTRY FUNCTIONS
IN VICTORIA. IN THIS EDITION WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE REGULATORY BODY ENERGYSAFETY, WHICH GOVERNS
GASFITTING IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
GASFITTING