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Scope - May 2025

The Electricity Supply Industry Act 1995 (ESI Act), the Gas Industry Act 2019 (Gas Industry Act) and the Water and Sewerage Industry Act 2008 (W&SI Act) each provide for the respective Minister or the Tasmanian Economic Regulator to establish advisory committees to advise on matters related to the administration of each Act.

Separate electricity and gas customer consultative committees were established in 1998 and 2002 respectively, and these were combined to form the Energy Customer Consultative Committee (ECCC) in 2002. The role of the ECCC was expanded to include advice to the Regulator on customer issues relating to the water and sewerage sector in 2009, and the name of the committee was changed to the OTTER Customer Consultative Committee (the Committee).

Since the commencement of the Gas Industry Act on 3 February 2021, the Regulator has had the power under all three industry Acts to establish advisory committees and appoint members, alongside an equivalent ministerial power.

The Regulator has appointed organisations rather than individuals as members of the Committee. This is to ensure accountability of members to constituent customer groups and to facilitate consultation. Organisations nominate specific persons to represent the organisations at Committee meetings. Organisations may nominate a proxy to attend meetings in lieu of the nominated representative, subject to approval by the Chair of the Committee prior to the meeting.

The Chair of the Committee is the Regulator or its nominated representative.

The following organisations have been appointed to the Committee for a three‑year term from 24 May 2025:

• Council on the Ageing Tasmania
• Local Government Association of Tasmania
• Property Council of Australia (Tasmanian Division)
• Salvation Army (Tasmania Branch)
• Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Tasmanian Council of Social Service Inc.
• Tasmanian Small Business Council​​​​
  
  

Role of the Committee​

The Committee is an important part of the regulatory framework for the electricity and natural gas supply industries and the water and sewerage sector. It ensures that groups representing customer interests are informed as to developments in these industry sectors and that the Regulator is informed of issues from the perspective of those groups.

Committee's Objectives​

The key objectives of the Committee are:

• to provide a forum for dialogue between the Regulator's Office, other regulatory bodies such as the Ombudsman, ACCC, health and environmental regulators and customer groups on issues affecting electricity, gas and water and sewerage customers. Customer groups may:
• voice concerns;
• advise of customers' needs and views;
• raise issues; and
• provide feedback;

• to provide the Regulator with input on issues affecting customers in these industries;
• to facilitate consideration of customer concerns in decision making by the Regulator and regulated industry bodies;
• to be an active body in the discussion of customer issues; and
• to advise the Regulator on specified aspects of the administration of the ESI Act, the Gas Industry Act and the W&SI Act.​
  

Committee's Outputs​

The following are the desired outputs for the Committee:

• Committee members are informed of recent developments and emerging issues in relevant industries and of the Regulator's current and forthcoming activities;
• the Regulator and relevant regulated industry bodies are informed of the views, comments and suggestions of Committee members to assist them in performing their statutory roles;
• the Committee provides a forum in which residential and business customers' interests are effectively represented;
• the Committee makes a substantial contribution to the development of regulatory instruments and technical and customer service standards; and
• members perceive the Committee as being of value to their organisations.​
  

Legislative basis for the Committee​

Section 12 (Advisory Committees) of the ESI Act includes the following provisions.

(1)     The Minister or the Regulator may establish an advisory committee to advise the Minister or the Regulator (or both) on specified aspects of the administration of this Act.

(2)     The members of an advisory committee established under this section by the Minister are appointed and hold office on such terms and conditions as the Minister determines.

(3)     The members of an advisory committee established under this section by the Regulator are appointed and hold office on such terms and conditions as the Regulator determines.

Section 18 (Advisory Committees) of the Gas Industry Act includes the following provisions.

(1)     The Minister or the Regulator may establish an advisory committee to advise the Minister or the Regulator, respectively, on specified aspects of the administration of this Act.

(2)     The members of an advisory committee established under this section by the Minister are appointed and hold office on the terms and conditions that the Minister determines.

(3)   The members of an advisory committee established under this section by the Regulator are appointed and hold office on the terms and conditions that the Regulator determines.

Section 8 (Minister or Regulator may establish committees) of the W&SI Act includes the following provisions.

(1)   The​ Minister or the Regulator may establish committees to provide information and advice to the Minister or the Regulator on matters related to the administration of this Act.

(2)   The​ members of a committee established under this section by the Minister are appointed and hold office on such terms and conditions as the Minister determines.

(3)   The members of a committee established under this section by the Regulator are appointed and hold office on such terms and conditions as the Regulator determines.