We are developing an enforceable code of practice related to land access by electricity transmission companies.
Developing a Land Access Code of Practice
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Public forum13 December 2022
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Consultation to develop draft code of practice2 February 2023
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Consultation closed3 March 2023
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Consultation on draft code of practice opens15 June 2023
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Consultation closed27 July 2023
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Final code of practiceOctober 2023
Overview
Overview
We are developing an enforceable code of practice in relation to how electricity transmission companies access land. This code of practice will place enforceable obligations on electricity transmission companies when they access land under section 93 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000.
In late 2021, we began hearing strong community concerns around the use of section 93 by electricity transmission companies when accessing land for transmission projects. Recognising the urgency of these land access issues faced by landowners, we consulted on and released a statement of expectations in May 2022 as an interim measure while we developed an enforceable access code.
In February 2023 we released a consultation paper to seek initial stakeholder feedback on an enforceable code of practice.
In June 2023 we released our Making a Land Access Code of Practice Draft Decision with a draft version of the Land Access Code of Practice for consultation.
The proposed Land Access Code of Practice will regulate the procedures and processes that electricity transmission companies will have to follow when accessing private land under section 93 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000. We are proposing to introduce general and specific obligations on transmission companies before, during and after land access with the purpose of improving consultation and engagement with affected parties while minimising the impact of access.
Making a Land Access Code of Practice Draft Decision
On 15 June 2023, we released our Making a Land Access Code of Practice Draft Decision. Our draft decision and the draft Land Access Code of Practice can be found in the Resources tab (at the top of this page).
Stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on the draft Land Access Code of Practice via a survey through Engage Victoria or by making general comments over email, mail or phone. Our consultation process closed Thursday 27 July 2023.
As part of our consultation process, we held an online public forum on 17 July 2023 where we presented the proposed scope and content of the draft code of practice. Stakeholders provided feedback on the draft Land Access Code of Practice and shared their experiences regarding land access.
A recording of the forum is provided below:
Next steps
We will assess the feedback that we’ve received and will continue to proactively engage with the community, transmission companies, government departments and agencies as this review progresses. If you have any questions about the development of the draft Land Access Code of Practice, you can contact us through email, mail or phone.
- Email: energyreform@esc.vic.gov.au
- Mail: Essential Services Commission, Level 8, 570 Burke Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
- Phone: +61 3 9032 6290
Public submissions to the are now available on the Resources tab.
We are aiming to release the final code of practice over the coming months.
Making a Land Access Code of Practice Consultation Paper
We released a consultation paper in February 2023 and sought further feedback from stakeholders ahead of the release of the draft code of practice. Stakeholders were able to provide their feedback in the form of written submissions of through responding to survey questions via Engage Victoria.
- 15 stakeholders responded to our consultation
- all non-confidential submissions and survey results can be found in the Resources tab (at the top of this page)
In response to the consultation paper, the community reiterated to us the need for an enforceable instrument to set out parameters for how electricity transmission companies use their powers under section 93 of the Act. The feedback we received to the consultation paper informed our draft decision.
Public forum - 13 December 2022
We held a public forum on 13 December 2022. We heard from stakeholders what their experience with land access had been following the release of the Electricity Transmission Company Land Access Statement of Expectations and provided information on key timelines and how stakeholders could engage with us as we developed the Land Access Code of Practice.
A recording of the forum is available below:
Reporting against the Electricity Transmission Company Land Access Statement of Expectations
The commission requires AusNet to report to us monthly on their performance against the principles of the statement of expectations. We are using the data in these reports to inform the development of the Land Access Code of Practice.
Public versions of AusNet's monthly reports can be found below.