Committees Including Technical Regulator Representation

Office of the Technical Regulator (OTR) staff are represented on various standards and advisory committees to ensure that the regulatory views of the OTR are considered in developing various industry Standards / Codes or in the development or administration of functions related to OTR responsibilities by the Government or industry.  The Technical Regulator's Annual Report provides a complete list of committees where OTR are currently represented.

Gas Technical Advisory Committee

This committee is established by the Gas Act.  It comprises representatives of the licensed gas companies, gas contractors and employee associations involved in the gas supply industry, local government and the Office of the Technical Regulator.

Its function is to provide advice to the Technical Regulator about safety and technical regulatory matters.

Gas Technical Regulators Committee (GTRC)

All Australian gas safety regulators are members of the Gas Technical Regulators Committee (GTRC), which also includes New Zealand gas safety regulators.

The GTRC is a forum meeting twice each year, where gas safety issues can be discussed by regulators on a national and Trans-Tasman basis.

Issues addressed by the GTRC vary from time to time but include:

• the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement - gas appliances.  The GTRC is the body chiefly responsible for advising the Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) about these issues.  (As at May 2006, gas appliances remain exempted from mutual recognition).
• gas quality standards for natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
• gas appliance certification schemes
• standards for gas appliances, components and infrastructure
• standards for gas installation work
• safety issues relating to defective or unsafe appliances, installation and infrastructure components
• recalls
• regulatory practices

GTRC meetings enable regulators to keep up to date with concerns and developments arising in other jurisdictions and promote a nationally consistent approach to gas safety and technical regulation.

Energy Planning and Regulators Coordination Group

An Energy Planning and Regulators Coordination Group (EPARCG) has been established by agreement amongst the Technical Regulator, the Essential Services Commission of SA (ESCOSA) and the Chief Executive of the Electricity Supply Industry Planning Council (ESIPC).

The Regulators have specific roles and responsibilities with respect to the operations of the gas industry, and are individually responsible for undertaking these. However, there is a need for a cooperative approach to the gathering and exchange of information, and for the mutual support in the conduct of investigations, which justify a coordination of resources to ensure consistency and efficiency.

The purpose of the Group is to ensure that the three Offices are aware of activities which affect them and facilitate a cooperative approach to their investigations, so as to minimise duplication and improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of gas regulation in South Australia.

Standards, Codes and Amendments

The Office of the Technical Regulator's Annual Report lists Standards Committees on which OTR is represented.  It also lists developments, revisions and publications of Standards where OTR has been involved.

Because of the large number of Australian and New Zealand Standards, representation is shared between all Australian and New Zealand regulators and industry to minimise costs, and to ensure that the Standards are practical, commercially equitable, and suitable for regulatory purposes.