QCA | Review of Small Customer Gas Pricing and Competition in Queensland

Review of Small Customer Gas Pricing and Competition in Queensland

The Minister for Mines and Energy (the Minister) has directed the Queensland Competition Authority (the Authority) to review small customer gas pricing and competition in the Queensland retail gas market.

The review is to examine current market issues in the interests of gas customers, incumbent retail market participants and new entrants.

In undertaking the review, the Authority is to consider and report on the following main issues in Queensland's small customer gas market:

the current level of competition in the markets for reticulated natural gas and substitute fuels such as reticulated and bottled LPG;
the impact on retail prices of movements in prices and costs in the upstream gas market and whether current small customer retail prices are reflective of actual costs incurred in the upstream gas supply chain; and
the extent of current small customer gas market activity, including customer switching behaviour, impediments to small customers exercising informed choices regarding their retailer of choice and consumer perceptions of natural gas as a product of choice compared to other energy supply options.

The Authority is also required to:

consider how each of these issues affects different categories of small gas customer;
where relevant, comment on differences in market competitiveness and cost reflectivity between regions within Queensland; and
provide an analysis of differences in market competitiveness and cost reflectivity between Queensland and other Australian States or Territories.

The Authority released an Issues Paper on 23 May 2008 and its Draft Report on 10 October 2008. The Issues paper and Draft Report can be downloaded below.

Submissions on the Draft Report closed on 27 October 2008. Submissions from interested parties can also be downloaded below.

Terms of Reference

Minister for Mines and Energy – Direction and Terms of Reference for the review (PDF, 69KB)

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Review of Small Customer Gas Pricing and Competition in Queensland

Terms of Reference

Interim Reports/Papers

Submissions