South Australian Numbered Acts

STATUTES AMENDMENT (NATIONAL ELECTRICITY AND GAS LAWS--LIMITED MERITS REVIEW) ACT 2013 (NO 79 OF 2013) - SECT 13

13—Amendment of section 71P—Tribunal must make determination

        (1)         Section 71P(2)—delete subsection (2) and substitute:

        (2)         Subject to subsection (2a), a determination under this section may—

            (a)         affirm the reviewable regulatory decision; or

            (b)         vary the reviewable regulatory decision; or

            (c)         set aside the reviewable regulatory decision and remit the matter back to the AER to make the decision again in accordance with any direction or recommendation of the Tribunal.

        (2a)         Despite subsection (2), the Tribunal may only make a determination—

            (a)         to vary the reviewable regulatory decision under subsection (2)(b); or

            (b)         to set aside the reviewable regulatory decision and remit the matter back to the AER under subsection (2)(c),

if—

            (c)         the Tribunal is satisfied that to do so will, or is likely to, result in a decision that is materially preferable to the reviewable regulatory decision in making a contribution to the achievement of the national electricity objective (a "materially preferable NEO decision") (and if the Tribunal is not so satisfied the Tribunal must affirm the decision); and

            (d)         in the case of a determination to vary the reviewable regulatory decision—the Tribunal is satisfied that to do so will not require the Tribunal to undertake an assessment of such complexity that the preferable course of action would be to set aside the reviewable regulatory decision and remit the matter to the AER to make the decision again.

        (2b)         In connection with the operation of subsection (2a) (and without limiting any other matter that may be relevant under this Law)—

            (a)         the Tribunal must consider how the constituent components of the reviewable regulatory decision interrelate with each other and with the matters raised as a ground for review; and

            (b)         without limiting paragraph (a), the Tribunal must take into account the revenue and pricing principles (in the same manner in which the AER is to take into account these principles under section 16); and

            (c)         the Tribunal must, in assessing the extent of contribution to the achievement of the national electricity objective, consider the reviewable regulatory decision as a whole; and

            (d)         the following matters must not, in themselves, determine the question about whether a materially preferable NEO decision exists:

                  (i)         the establishment of a ground for review under section 71C(1);

                  (ii)         consequences for, or impacts on, the average annual regulated revenue of a regulated network service provider;

                  (iii)         that the amount that is specified in or derived from the reviewable regulatory decision exceeds the amount specified in section 71F(2).

        (2c)         If the Tribunal makes a determination under subsection (2)(b) or (c), the Tribunal must specify in its determination—

            (a)         the manner in which it has taken into account the interrelationship between the constituent components of the reviewable regulatory decision and how they relate to the matters raised as a ground for review as contemplated by subsection (2b)(a); and

            (b)         in the case of a determination to vary the reviewable regulatory decision—the reasons why it is proceeding to make the variation in view of the requirements of subsection (2a)(d).

        (2)         Section 71P(3)—after "(2)(a)" insert:

or (b)

        (3)         Section 71P(4)—delete subsection (4)

        (4)         Section 71P(5)—delete "setting aside or varying" and substitute:

varying or setting aside