The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Package commenced in other Australian jurisdictions in July 2009 as a result of the National Gas (South Australia) (National Gas Law—Australian Energy Market Operator) Amendment Act 2009 (SA) and National Gas (South Australia) (Australian Energy Market Operator) Variation Regulations 2009 (SA).
The Package established AEMO, an industry-funded national energy market operator for both electricity and gas, to strengthen the national character of energy market governance. AEMO was empowered to perform a range of new functions, including the publication of the Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) and operation of retail gas markets in eastern Australia.
WA only adopted two provisions of the AEMO Act that amended the definition of ‘designated pipeline’. These provisions were applied to the National Gas Access (WA) Law with the commencement of the National Gas Access (WA) Adoption of Amendments Order 2009 on 1 January 2010.
WA did not adopt the bulk of the AEMO Act, in part because it was considering implementing its own GSOO and Gas Bulletin Board operated by an independent, WA-specific entity at the time.
The WA GSOO and WA Gas Bulletin Board were ultimately established under the Gas Services Information Act 2012 (WA).
