South Australian Consolidated Acts

GAS ACT 1997 - SECT 26

26—Licences authorising operation of distribution system

        (1)         The Commission must make a licence authorising the operation of a distribution system subject to conditions determined by the Commission—

            (a)         requiring compliance with the relevant parts of the National Gas Procedures (South Australia); and

            (b)         requiring the gas entity—

                  (i)         to prepare and periodically revise a safety, reliability, maintenance and technical management plan dealing with matters prescribed by regulation; and

                  (ii)         to obtain the approval of the Commission (which may only be given by the Commission on the recommendation of the Technical Regulator) to the plan and any revision; and

                  (iii)         to comply with the plan as approved from time to time; and

                  (iv)         to audit from time to time the entity's compliance with the plans and report the results of those audits to the Technical Regulator; and

            (c)         requiring the gas entity to maintain specified accounting records and to prepare accounts according to specified principles; and

            (d)         requiring the gas entity to participate in an ombudsman scheme—

                  (i)         that applies to the gas supply industry and to other regulated industries (within the meaning of the Essential Services Commission Act 2002 ) prescribed by regulation; and

                  (ii)         the terms and conditions of which are approved by the Commission; and

            (e)         requiring the gas entity to monitor and report as required by the Commission on indicators of service performance determined by the Commission; and

            (f)         requiring the gas entity to comply with code provisions as in force from time to time (which the Commission must make under the Essential Services Commission Act 2002 ) limiting the grounds on which the supply of gas to customers may be disconnected and prescribing the process to be followed before the supply of gas is disconnected; and

            (g)         requiring a specified process to be followed to resolve disputes between the gas entity and customers as to the supply of gas.

        (2)         This section does not limit the matters that may be dealt with by terms or conditions of a licence authorising the operation of a distribution system.