{"id":"F2025L01012","name":"Competition and Consumer (Price Inquiry—Natural Gas) Direction 2025","slug":"competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442943,"registerId":"F2025L01012-fast-fetch-1775957853123","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Competition and Consumer (Price Inquiry—Natural Gas) Direction 2025","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nCompetition and Consumer (Price Inquiry—Natural Gas) Direction 2025\n\nI, Jim Chalmers, Treasurer, give the following direction to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.\n\nDated     28 August 2025\n\n \n\nDr Jim Chalmers\n\nTreasurer\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n1  Name \n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\nPart 2—Price inquiry into the supply of natural gas\n\n5  Commission to hold an inquiry\n\n6  Directions on matters to be taken into consideration in the inquiry\n\n7  Directions as to holding of the inquiry\n\n8  Period for completing the inquiry\n\n \n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Competition and Consumer (Price Inquiry—Natural Gas) Direction 2025.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote: Expressions have the same meaning in this instrument as in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 as in force from time to time—see paragraph 13(1)(b) of the Legislation Act 2003.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nexempt supply has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\ngoods has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\ninquiry has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\nLNG netback price means the effective price of natural gas at a specific location or defined point, calculated by taking the delivered price of liquefied natural gas and subtracting, as applicable, costs incurred between the specific location or defined point and the delivery point of the liquified natural gas, such as gas transmission, liquefaction and shipping costs.\n\nnatural gas means a substance that meets all of the following:\n\n (a) is in a gaseous state at standard temperature and pressure;\n\n (b) consists of naturally occurring hydrocarbons, or a naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbons and non‑hydrocarbons, the principal constituent of which is methane.\n\nprice has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\nservices has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\nState or Territory authority has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\nsupply has the meaning given by subsection 95A(1) of the Act.\n\nthe Act means the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.\n\nPart 2—Price inquiry into the supply of natural gas\n\n \n\n5  Commission to hold an inquiry\n\n (1) Under subsection 95H(1) of the Act, the Commission is required to hold an inquiry into the market for the supply of natural gas in Australia.\n\n (2) For the purposes of subsection 95J(1), the inquiry is to be held in relation to all goods and services relating to the supply of natural gas.\n\n (3) Subsection (1) does not authorise the holding of an inquiry into a good or service:\n\n (a) that is an exempt supply;\n\n (b) by a State or Territory authority.\n\n (4) Under subsection 95J(2), the inquiry is not to be held in relation to the supply of goods and services of that description by a particular person or persons.\n\n6  Directions on matters to be taken into consideration in the inquiry\n\n  Under subsection 95J(6) of the Act, the Commission is directed to take into consideration all of the following matters in holding the inquiry:\n\n (a) the transparency of arrangements for the supply of natural gas in Australia;\n\n (b) the supply of, and demand for, natural gas or any other gases that may be suitable as a substitute for natural gas, extracted, or produced in Australia, and imported into Australia;\n\n (c) the supply of, and demand for, services for the transportation of natural gas in Australia;\n\n (d) the pricing and availability of offers to supply natural gas to Australian consumers and businesses;\n\n (e) the volumes of natural gas available for current and future supply, including natural gas extracted or produced in Australia, and imported into Australia;\n\n (f) the pricing, volume and availability of natural gas for domestic consumption compared to the pricing, volume and availability of natural gas for export;\n\n (g) the pricing, volume and availability of other goods or services, such as goods or services for drilling for, storing, processing or liquefying natural gas, and transportation of natural gas, that enable, assist or facilitate the supply of natural gas in Australia for domestic consumption or export.\n\n7  Directions as to holding of the inquiry\n\n  Under subsection 95J(6) of the Act, the Commission is directed to do the following in holding the inquiry:\n\n (a) make use of publicly available information on the market for the supply of natural gas where appropriate, including but not limited to information published by:\n\n (i) the Australian Energy Market Commission; and\n\n (ii) the Australian Energy Market Operator; and\n\n (iii) the Australian Energy Regulator.\n\n (b) give to the Treasurer an interim report:\n\n (i) by 30 September 2025; and\n\n (ii) at least twice for every 6 month period after the interim report mentioned in subparagraph (i) is due to be given; and\n\n (c) where appropriate, provide to the market anonymised data and analysis relating to estimates of LNG netback prices.\n\n8  Period for completing the inquiry\n\n  For the purposes of subsection 95K(1) of the Act, the inquiry is be completed, and a report on the matter of inquiry given to the Treasurer, by no later than 30 June 2030.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument maintains a focused scope consistent with its apparent original intent. It establishes a single price inquiry into natural gas markets under existing powers in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. The scope is appropriately bounded by exclusions for state/territory authorities and exempt supplies, and the matters for consideration align with standard market monitoring functions. The five-year duration is lengthy but appears designed for ongoing market surveillance rather than scope creep."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument: only 8 sections across 2 Parts","Minimal defined terms: 10 definitions, mostly referencing external legislation (Competition and Consumer Act 2010) rather than creating new concepts","Simple conditional logic: only one substantive exclusion (subsection 5(3)) and one limitation (subsection 5(4))","No nested exceptions or complex cross-referencing beyond standard statutory interpretation rules","Straightforward directive structure: 'the Commission is directed to...' format used consistently","Single operational purpose: establishing one inquiry with clear parameters, not creating a regulatory scheme"],"plain_english_summary":"The Treasurer has directed the ACCC to undertake a comprehensive inquiry into how natural gas is supplied and priced across Australia, examining domestic versus export pricing, market transparency, and supply‑demand dynamics. It affects gas producers, exporters, domestic users and energy regulators, requires regular reporting over a five‑year period, and mandates use of existing market data. The goal is to clarify pricing drivers, protect domestic supply and inform policy on energy security and affordability."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Direction does not amend the underlying statutory inquiry powers; it specifies the subject matter, exclusions, evidence sources and reporting timetable under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. It narrows and structures the ACCC's task (topics to consider, data sources, reporting dates) but does not expand the Act's authority or create new regulatory powers beyond directing the inquiry (see s5–s8)."},"complexity_factors":["Relies on statutory definitions and inquiry powers in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (definitions referenced in instrument).","Broad substantive scope of issues to be considered (transparency, supply/demand, transport, domestic vs export pricing, enabling goods/services) increases evidentiary and analytical burden (s6).","Explicit exclusions: exempt supplies and supplies by State/Territory authorities, and prohibition on targeting particular persons, constrain scope (s5(3)–(4)).","Multiple reporting obligations with fixed deadlines (interim by 30 Sept 2025, bi‑annual updates thereafter) and a long final deadline (30 June 2030) require sustained resourcing and scheduling (s7(b), s8).","Directive to use public energy‑market information and optionally publish anonymised LNG netback estimates creates data‑handling and commercial‑sensitivity issues (s7(a), s7(c)).","Operational discretion remains with the ACCC on methods and depth of analysis, but within the directed topics and timelines (s5, s6, s7).","No provision in the instrument for cost recovery or funding from industry; funding/resourcing implications are not specified in the text."],"plain_english_summary":"The Treasurer directs the ACCC to hold a formal price inquiry into the Australian natural gas market, covering goods and services for supply but excluding exempt supplies and supplies by State or Territory authorities. The ACCC must examine transparency, supply and demand (including substitutes), transport and domestic versus export pricing, use public energy‑market data, provide an interim report by 30 September 2025 with regular six‑monthly updates, and deliver a final report by 30 June 2030."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025","history":"/api/acts/competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/competition-and-consumer-price-inquiry-natural-gas-direction-2025/documents"}}