On 11 September 2025, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) published a final determination and final rule to require the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to report, via a notice on their website and through the planning reports, on the closure of gas infrastructure.

The final rule amends the Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) provisions in part 15D and the Victorian Gas Planning Report (VGPR) provisions in part 19 of the National Gas Rules (NGR).

The final rule ensures there is a formal obligation for closure information to be reported transparently and in advance. 

The obligation will:

• Apply to six infrastructure types that are GSOO reporting entities and meet the Bulletin Board reporting threshold, i.e. with a nameplate rating of 10 terajoules (TJs) per day or more, due to the impact they could have on the reliability of the East Coast Gas System (ECGS). These include:

1. Production facilities
2. Pipelines
3. Compression facilities
4. Storage facilities 
5. LNG import facilities
6. Blend processing facilities

• Apply to a reportable closure decision which is the decision of a facility to permanently cease supply of covered gas services.
• Require a reportable closure decision to be reported through the GSOO survey process. The survey is also used for the purposes of the VGPR.
• Require a GSOO reporting entity to inform AEMO:
  i) about a reportable closure decision, where practicable, at least 36 months prior to the intended date for cessation of supply. On receipt of a reportable closure decision AEMO will be required to publish a notice on its website. In circumstances where the intended date for cessation of supply is within 36 months of the reportable closure decision, a GSOO reporting entity must provide reasons in writing to AEMO for why it has not been able to provide 36 months’ notice. These reasons will be published.
  ii) of a reportable closure decision, if it comes forth outside a GSOO survey cycle, as soon as practicable. AEMO will then publish a notice on its website and will consider whether a supplement to the GSOO or VGPR is required.

Commencement 

The rule commences on 18 September 2025. While the primary reporting mechanism is intended to be the GSOO survey, in any instance that AEMO has finalised its GSOO survey process for 2026, the GSOO reporting entity still has an obligation under the final rule to notify AEMO.

Rule change request

On 20 March 2024, the AEMC received a rule change request from Energy Senior Officials on behalf of the Energy Ministers’ Sub-Group seeking to establish an advanced notice of closure reporting obligation under the NGR. We published a consultation paper on 20 March 2025, and a draft determination and draft rule on 26 June 2025.

This is one of four rule changes proposed as part of Stage 2 of the reliability and supply adequacy (RSA) reforms for the ECGS.