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Western Australian legislation requires 'Schemes' to be established for the operation of the State-based gas retail market. Any Scheme is to include:
- a legal relationship between the Members of the Scheme (including gas retailers and gas distribution network operators);
- an independent entity to manage the Scheme (the ‘Retail Market Operator’); and
- and a set of rules covering the requirements and processes for practical Full Retail Contestability (FRC).
The Retail Market Operator must be independent of the commercial outcomes of the market, but may be owned by
companies who are involved in the commercial outcomes of the markets. The Government expects the Retail Market
Operator to recover costs from its Members.
Gas retailers and distribution network operators in Western Australia are required to be members of a Scheme.
Gas shippers and pipeline operators also have obligations in the Rules associated with such Schemes, and are
required to comply with the Rules through either legislation or regulations.
The Western Australian Government oversees the operation of any such Schemes and the Market Operator through
the Economic Regulation Authority.
The market participants in Western Australia and South Australia worked together with the respective State
Governments in preparation for the implementation of practical FRC in these States. Once the State Government’s
established the policy objectives for these States, and the requirements of the Retail Market Operators were suitably
defined, the gas retail market participants in Western Australia and South Australia established REMCo to be the
Retail Market Operator in both States.
REMCo was incorporated on 8 January 2003, and on 1 October 2009, transferred responsibility for administration of
the South Australian gas retail market to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
REMCo Membership is open to all gas retailers and distributors operating in Western Australia. |
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