There are a number of existing or proposed regulatory instruments that support the gas industry structure.  The key instruments include:

Gas Act 2000

This Act regulates the distribution and retailing of gas in Tasmania.  It includes provisions for the appointment of the Director of Gas, the Director of Gas Safety and for the licensing of gas distributors and retailers.

Gas (Exclusive Distribution Franchise) Order 2003

The Regulator has published a summary of the effect of the Gas (Exclusive Distribution Franchise) Order 2003.

The document sets out, in plain English terms, what the effect of the order is, including which customers are subject to the franchise and the locations of their operations.

Gas Pipelines Act 2000

This Act regulates the construction and operation of gas pipeline facilities in Tasmania. 

Gas Pipeline Regulations 2002

These regulations deal with, amongst other things, applications for transmission licences and the contents of gas safety cases.

Gas Pipeline Access (Tasmania) Act 2000

This Act regulates access to gas pipelines in Tasmania by, amongst other things, adopting the Access Law, including the Code.

Natural Gas Pipeline Access Agreement (NGPAA)

The Natural Gas Pipeline Access Arrangement (NGPAA) was entered into on 7 November 1997 between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and provides for certain principles to apply to access negotiations and for the National Gas Code to be given effect through a uniform Gas Pipelines Access Law.

The NGPAA provides for the Gas Pipelines Access Law to be included in schedules to South Australian legislation and for this Law to be applied in turn by the other parties to the NGPAA by means of application legislation.

The Code

The National Third Party Access Code for Natural Gas Pipeline Systems (the Code), Schedule 2 to the Gas Pipelines Access (South Australia) Act 1997 of South Australia, contains the detailed provisions for the regulation of the market participants.  It sets out the objectives, rights and responsibilities of the market participants and the Regulator.   The Code has been adopted by Tasmania as its Gas Pipelines Access Law under Section 3(1) of the Gas Pipelines Access (Tasmania) Act 2000.