Full Version - Essential Energy

Consultants
A total of $1.3 million was spent on consultants. Those
consultancies valued at more than $30,000 are shown
in the following table. An additional 21 consultancies
in management services ($154,416), legal ($55,711),
sub-transmission survey ($7,040) and organisational
review ($15,787) were valued at less than $30,000.
Supplier Description of services provided Amount
PricewaterhouseCoopers Business advice $204,047
KPMG Business / accounting advice $347,042
Deloitte Corporate Finance Valuation advice $60,000
Ernst & Young Tax and finance $227,976
Deacons Legal advice $233,813
Corrs Chambers Westgrath Legal advice $37,120
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Legislative changes
As a New South Wales State Owned Corporation
(SOC), Country Energy is generally subject to the same
statutory and legal requirements as other businesses,
with the notable exception of the Corporations Act 2001
(Cth). The following are the main legislative and other
regulatory changes made during the reporting period
that impact on the company.
Commonwealth
• Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001
(Cth). Amended by the Renewable Energy
(Electricity) Amendment Regulations (No. 1) 2005 to
reflect the renewable power percentages for 2004
and 2005. These are: 1.25% for 2004 and 1.64% for
2005.
• Australian Energy Market Act 2004 No. 99, which
provides that the National Electricity Law, the
National Electricity Code and Regulations will
apply in offshore areas.
Australian Capital Territory
• Electricity (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) Act 2004 No.
71, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by establishing a system of greenhouse gas
benchmarks for electricity producers and imposing
penalties for failing to meet these benchmarks.
• Electricity (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) Regulation
2004 No. 60 (ACT), which was made under the
Electricity (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) Act 2004 No.
71 (ACT) (‘EGGE Act’) and regulates the operation of
the Gas Abatement Scheme established under the
EGGE Act.
• Utilities (Electricity Restrictions) Regulation 2004
No. 61 (ACT), which was made under the Utilities
Act 2000 No. 65 (ACT) and allows the Minister to
approve a scheme that will limit the use of electricity
to, among other things, facilitate the provision of
‘efficient, reliable and sustainable’ electricity services,
including allowing the Minister to make a declaration
of an electricity restriction stage and allowing
licensed electricity distribution and connection
services provider to impose restriction measures
when such a declaration is in force.
• Utilities Amendment Act 2005 No. 14, which
amends the Utilities Act 2000 No. 65 (ACT) to
allow contracted maintenance service providers
to enter leased land ‘for the purpose of installing
or maintaining streetlight or stormwater drainage
infrastructure’.
• Electricity Safety Regulations 2004 No. 37 (ACT),
which was made under the Electricity Safety Act
1971 No. 30 (ACT) and makes specific provision for
the electrical wiring installation in a lift or escalator.
It also exempts electrical wiring work from AS 3000
and the New Zealand Standard 3000 if the work
complies with revised editions of the AS/NZ 3000
or is commenced on the day of and completed
within six months after the publication of the revised
edition.
COUNTRY ENERGY ANNUAL REPORT 2004–2005