Overview
The department and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) invited interested stakeholders to provide input to support the detailed design and implementation of the agreed reforms from the Gas Market Review, including a domestic gas reservation scheme and targeted market efficiency measures.
The consultation is now closed.
Consultation
The consultation was open for submissions from 5 February 2026 to 13 March 2026. We have also met with more than 80 stakeholders via 3 roundtables with industry and additional meetings to discuss the detailed design of the reforms.
We received over 80 submissions to the consultation and thank everyone who responded to this consultation. The feedback will help to shape the design and implementation of agreed reforms.
To view submissions in response to the Gas Market Review Report, please visit the Published submissions page. Please note, responses have been published only where the author has provided permission for their response to be released publicly.
What we heard
Stakeholders are broadly supportive of:
a domestic gas reservation (DGR) scheme that is prospective and protects existing contracts to provide long-term certainty
a national DGR scheme that does not affect Western Australia’s state reservation policy with no new or additional obligations
flexibility mechanisms such as, cargo swaps and regasification
anti-gaming safeguards and net contribution tests
improving market transparency and accessibility, improved conduct regulations, and efficient markets
improvements to the way gas is offered and sold to the domestic market to support contracting activity, including for reserved gas
targeted amendments to the National Gas Law (NGL) and National Gas Rules (NGR) to extend incentives and exemptions to brownfield pipeline expansions
consolidating market monitoring and reporting within the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
re-defining the role of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Gas Inquiry once new arrangements are proven, and
storage and pipeline investment as structural solutions to volatility rather than auction-based mechanisms.
Stakeholders expressed differing views on:
the scope of the DGR scheme
the percentage of gas to be reserved
Northern Territory application of the DGR including for offshore projects
the affordability of wholesale gas prices
the proposal to amend obligations to ‘supply’ gas, not just ‘offer’ gas
the release valve mechanism, and
the commencement timeline proposed for 2027 with some concerned delays in setting the DSO will create uncertainty and delays in contracting, while others express concern with short timeframes to adequately consult and design a scheme with suitable sequencing and transitional arrangements.
Consultation summary
You can download a summary of the consultation process its key themes.
Next steps
Departments will continue to design and refine the agreed reforms using input from this consultation process. Further consultation opportunities will occur during the year, before implementation in 2027.
Current regulations will remain in place until any agreed reforms are implemented.
