The Essential Services Commission is committed to pursuing best practice in its consultation and decision making. For this reason, the Commission aims to be:
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independent, balanced and fair by ensuring its decisions and processes do not reflect undue influences and are consistent with its statutory objectives
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open and transparent by publishing its Work Program on its website, explaining how it consults and the reasons for its decisions
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accessible to, and inclusive of, all relevant stakeholders by providing tailored opportunities for them to participate in its consultative processes
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representative and fair in the way in which it explains the key issues, facts and information and reflects the comments that stakeholders make about its processes
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effective by identifying priority issues, providing well targeted opportunities for consultation and resolving issues in a timely manner
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efficient by minimising the costs of regulatory activities and seeking to ensure that the costs of regulation do not exceed the benefits.
The Commission’s approach to consultation is detailed in its Charter of Consultation and Regulatory Practice, reviewed and published every three years. The Charter was last published in 2009.
Customer Consultative Committee
One of the Commission's earliest initiatives was the establishment of its Customer Consultative Committee.
The Committee has played a vital role in advising the Commission on customer issues and needs. It has also provided a forum in which customer representatives have been able to exchange information about their needs and, through the Commission, make those needs known to the regulated industries.
To ensure input from a wide range of customer interests, to involve and inform a larger number of people and to maximise the opportunities for consultation as a two-way process, membership of the Committee has been drawn from peak bodies representing:
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customers generally
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rural and remote customers
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recipients of community service obligations
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industry and commerce.
Selected government departments and agencies act as observers on the Committee because of their respective roles in developing policy or handling customer complaints in relation to the regulated industries.