Australian Capital Territory

Utilities (Energy industry levy – local regulatory costs) Determination 2017

Notifiable Instrument NI2017-508

made under the

Utilities Act 2000, section 54F (Local regulatory costs)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 54F of the Utilities Act 2000 requires the Levy Administrator, appointed under section 25N, to determine the amount of local regulatory costs to be applied to each industry sector. The Utilities (Energy industry levy – local regulatory costs) Determination 2017 sets out these determinations.

The four energy industry sectors subject to the levy are electricity distribution, electricity supply, gas distribution and gas supply.

Local regulatory costs are made up of costs to the Territory of regulating safety, technical operations, consumer service and environmental behaviour for energy utility services and the costs of administration of the levy. The costs relate to the work of the: 

•	Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (Commission);
•	the technical regulator; and
•	the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT).

The Levy Administrator notes the increase in total regulatory costs estimated for 2017-18 on the actual costs for 2016-17. This increase in costs is attributable to an expected increase in work for the technical regulator and to an increase in costs for the ACAT associated with an expected increase in the number and complexity of matters before the ACAT. The Commission is also expecting an increase in workload for 2017–18, particularly in the electricity supply sector.