The Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme is a voluntary, industry-agreed scheme which assesses standard gas distribution service agreements against a set of principles.
The Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme (the Scheme) is a non-regulatory gas industry governance arrangement that was endorsed by the Minister of Energy and Resources in September 2012.
The Scheme's has three main goals:
The Scheme does not assess negotiated agreements.
The Scheme includes a set of distribution principles that cover non-price contractual (and inferred) terms, such as the obligations and rights of parties and information exchange and use, as agreed between gas distribution businesses and gas retail businesses.
The principles are not intended as a model contract for distribution services. Instead, they are designed to provide a high-level context for commercial negotiations between distributors and retailers.
Publicly available gas distribution arrangements are assessed and reported on against these principles by an independent assessor.
The Scheme is similar to the Gas Retail Contracts Assessment Scheme, however it is based on principles rather than more prescriptive benchmarks. This difference recognises that parties to distribution service arrangements are significant commercial entities, better able to negotiate mutually acceptable terms than small consumers can with retailers.
Assessments under the Scheme are now conducted on an exceptions' basis as contracts are further revised or replaced.
The Assessments section has information on the 2013 and 2014 assessments of standard gas distribution service agreements, and the Firstgas Use-of-System Agreement (2024).
The Background section has information on the development, scope and structure of the Scheme, including the recommendation to the then Minister of Energy and Resources and his subsequent endorsement of the Scheme in September 2012.
The initial assessment of standard gas distribution service agreements against the Principles of the Scheme was conducted in February 2013, prior to the publication of any standard distribution service agreements.
The second assessment was undertaken in March 2014, and found 'Substantial' alignment with the Scheme's Principles.
Assessments are now conducted on an exceptions' basis as contracts are further revised or replaced.
An assessment of the Firstgas Use-of-Service Agreement (2024) found the agreement was, overall, 'Substantially' aligned with the Scheme.
The assessment reports can be viewed below.
Greenwood Roche was appointed to undertake an independent assessment of the new Firstgas Use-of-System Agreement, against the Principles of the Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme (the Scheme). The report found the Firstgas Agreement is, overall, 'Substantially' aligned with the Principles of the Scheme. The Assessment Report can be found below.
Gas Industry Co has also published a paper with our comments on matters raised by the Independent Assessor for us to consider.
Elwood Law was appointed to undertake a second assessment of standard gas distribution service agreements against the Principles as at 1 March 2014, and produced the Assessment Report found below. The second assessment found 'Substantial' alignment with the Scheme's Principles, and mirrored the level of alignment attained by the Retail Gas Contracts Oversight Scheme (which improves from 'moderate' alignment in 2010 and 2011, to 'Substantial' alignment with retail contract Benchmarks in 2012).
Elwood Law was appointed to undertake the initial assessment of standard gas distribution service agreements against the Principles as at 1 February 2013, and produced the Initial Assessment Report found below.
The date of 1 February 2013 was set by Gas Industry Co as the initial assessment date, after consulting with industry on the time that would be reasonably required to update standard gas distribution contracts. However, as at 1 February 2013, none of the distributors had published a standard gas distribution contract. As a result, technically, as at the assessment date the overall alignment of published standard gas distribution contracts with the Scheme was "Nil" (under the Scheme, "Nil" means "No alignment with the intention of the Principle"). Although there were no distribution issues for gas retailers or consumers, this position confirmed the justification for the Scheme.
Each of the distributors covered by the Scheme was in the process of developing a standard gas distribution contract, which they each call a Gas Use of System Agreement (GUoSA). The review did provide a positive indication that distributors were developing GUoSAs that should broadly align with the Principles. Each distributor planned to have published its standard gas distribution contract prior to the next scheduled assessment date of 1 February 2014.
The Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme (the Scheme) is a non-regulatory gas industry governance arrangement, endorsed by the Minister of Energy and Resources in September 2012.
This section has information on the early development, scope and structure of the Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme.
The key dates and milestones were:
More information associated with each stage above can be found below under Key areas.
On 3 September 2012 the Minister of Energy and Resources wrote to Gas Industry Company endorsing the Recommendation for a voluntary, industry agreed, Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme.
The Recommendation and Endorsement can be found below.
Gas Industry Co progressed the development of the Distribution contracts assessment framework with the completion of the proposed design for assessing the Principles for Arrangements on Gas Distribution Systems.
The Distribution Contract Principles: proposed design of the assessment framework (Distribution Contract Principles) aimed to improve the contractual arrangements a distributor offers to a retailer under a network services agreement.
The Distribution Contract Principles and feedback received from the industry can be found below.
A set of draft Principles for Arrangements on Gas Distribution Systems was proposed in the June 2011 Consultation Paper. The principles aimed to improve the contractual arrangements a distributor offers to a retailer under a network services agreement.
The Consultation paper, submissions received and an Analysis of Submissions can be found below.
In September 2010, following discussion of the initial Draft Principles for Arrangements on Gas Distribution Systems at a workshop in February 2010, we considered whether any issues associated with the distribution of natural gas warrant development of gas governance arrangements in the Gas Governance Issues in Gas Distribution: Issues Paper.
Following an Analysis of Submissions, we advised the Minister on its work related to distribution in December 2010.
The Issues Paper and submissions received, an Analysis of these submissions and the Advice to the Minister can be found below.