The main legislation and regulations covering general aspects of the gas industry are:
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The Government’s policy objectives for the gas industry in New Zealand are set out primarily in the Gas Act and the Government Policy Statement 2008 (GPS).
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Gas transmission and distribution pipelines are regulated by the Commerce Commission under provisions of the Commerce Act 1986.
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The Crown Minerals Act 1991 sets the broad legislative arrangements for petroleum (including gas) prospecting exploration and mining.
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The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000, which promotes energy efficiency, energy conservation and the use of renewables.
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Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010 set out responsibilities and obligations for the safe supply of gas.
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Health and safety arrangements specific to the oil and gas sector are found in Health and Safety in Employment (Pipelines) Regulations 1999 and the Health and Safety in Employment (Petroleum Exploration and Extraction) Regulations 2013.
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Gas as a flammable substance is covered by the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.
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The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006 covers health and safety through the regulation of people engaged in gas fitting.
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Gas industry activities are also covered by general legislation such as the Resource Management Act 1991, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act. 1986
Rules and regulations affecting our industry can be found here.
Requirements and Procedures Documents
Generally, they provide an overview of legal requirements and technical standards a description of common industry practice and references and links to more detailed information sources.
Prepared with industry liaison and relevant input, these documents are a foundation/background information resource for stakeholders. The subjects themselves are linked to policy objectives and outcomes in the Gas Act 1992 and the April 2008 Government Policy Statement on Gas Governance (GPS) and the documents can be produced as part of a Gas Industry Co workstream, as a prelude to potentially more in-depth work by Gas Industry Co or industry groups, or are simply an information resource administered by Gas Industry Co on behalf of the industry.
Gas Industry Co believes the provision of this type of information has become increasingly relevant as more participants – particularly in the upstream exploration/production and retail sectors– enter the market. There is an identified need to assist these, as well as current participants, by presenting and interpreting available information from various sources into an easily-accessible single document.
Requirements and Procedures documents to date have covered Gas Quality, Gas Measurement, and Gas Reconciliation. These are found below in Related Documents.
Gas Measurement
The Gas Measurement Requirements and Procedures document gives an overview of the legal requirements and technical standards that apply to gas measurement.
Gas Reconciliation
The Gas Reconciliation Requirements and Procedures document provides an overview of the reconciliation arrangements, including the key legislative and commercial documents. It explains how physical flows and commercial transactions in the gas supply chain are reconciled and how the energy quantities used in each commercial transaction are derived.
Gas Quality
The Gas Quality Requirements and Procedures document aims to give industry stakeholders an understanding of the legal requirements and industry procedures that manage gas quality.