The Central Ranges (CR) Gas Network is a distribution pipeline owned by the APA Group through its wholly owned subsidiary Central Ranges Pipeline Pty Limited. The network is owned and operated by APA. APA purchased the Central Ranges Pipeline gas network from Country Pipelines Pty Limited in August 2008. The network covers Tamworth and consists of approximately 230 km of pipeline.
The CR gas network was constructed in 2006. This followed a competitive tender process (CTP) which was designed to select an organisation to construct transmission and distribution pipelines to supply gas to the Central Ranges region of NSW. The CTP also determined the reference tariffs which would apply on these pipelines. Under the Gas Code, the ACCC (for the CRP transmission pipeline) and IPART (for the CR gas network) carried out parallel consultation processes and approved their respective tender approval requests in 2004. Subsequent to this, the successful tenderer became the service provider and was incorporated as Central Ranges Pipeline Pty Ltd. Separate access arrangements for the CRP transmission pipeline and gas network were then submitted and approved under the Gas Code by the ACCC and IPART respectively in 2005.
Both the CRP transmission pipeline and gas network were covered pipelines for the duration of their CTP access arrangements. At the end of this period, on 1 July 2019, the pipelines became uncovered.
The pipelines are now non-scheme pipelines, and are subject to the access regime for non-scheme pipelines under Chapter 6A of the NGL and Part 23 of the NGR. On 9 April 2019, the AER granted a 5 year category 3 exemption under Part 23 of the NGR to the pipelines.