Overview
Energy Safe Victoria regulates the safety of gas infrastructure and licensed pipelines in Victoria. We are responsible for ensuring the public is protected from environmental, health and safety risks resulting from gas infrastructure and licensed pipelines, and for ensuring the safe conveyance, sale, supply, and use of gas.
Regulation is conducted in accordance with the Gas Safety Act 1997, Pipelines Act 2005 and Gas Industry Act 2001 (the Acts).
ESV audits, monitors and reviews safety framework and construction and operation activities undertaken by the industry participants. In doing so, compliance is assessed in accordance with the applicable Australian and International Standards.
Gas and pipeline industry
The gas infrastructure and pipelines sector comprises:
- Licensed pipelines, which includes:
- natural gas transmission pipelines
- petroleum, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, compressed air, sulphuric acid and methanol pipelines
- the market operator – the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
- Gas infrastructure, which includes:
- natural gas distribution
- reticulated Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas retailers
- Landfill biogas
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
- Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
- Natural gas retailers.
Gas pipeline information bulletins
- Illegal repairs to damaged live gas infrastructure:
GPIS_Bulletin_Illegal_repairs_gas_infrastructure(opens in a new window)
- Building Near Pipelines
- Building Near Pipelines: Restrictions and Responsibilities:
Building Near Pipelines - Restrictions and Responsibilities(opens in a new window)
- Application for Ministerial Consent:
Application for Ministerial Consent(opens in a new window)
- Building Near Pipelines: Restrictions and Responsibilities:
- Transmission Pipeline Encroachment Enforcement Strategy:
Transmission_Pipeline_Encroachment_Enforcement_Strategy(opens in a new window)
- Gas Asset Damage Enforcement Strategy:
Gas_Asset_Damage_Enforcement_Strategy(opens in a new window)
- Cathodic Protection
- Cathodic Protection Report by Exception Guidelines:
CathodicProtectionReport_ByException(opens in a new window)
- Cathodic Protection Report Templates:
Cathodic Protection Report - Templates(opens in a new window)
- Cathodic Protection Report by Exception Guidelines:
- Classification of Audit Findings:
Classification of Audit Findings - January 2021(opens in a new window)
Key performance indicators
Natural Gas Transmission
- KPI Information specification:
Licensed Pipelines Industry Group (Natural Gas Transmission) Reporting(opens in a new window)
- KPI Reporting template:
Licensed Pipelines Industry Group (Natural Gas Transmission) Reporting Template(opens in a new window)
Non-Natural Gas Transmission
Specifications for Victorian Licensed Pipelines Industry Group – reporting requirements
These reporting requirements came into effect on 1 July 2018.
- KPI Information specification:
KPIs_Specifications_Licensed_Pipelines_Industry_Group_Oct2018(opens in a new window)
- KPI Reporting template:
Licensed_Pipelines_report_template_Oct2018(opens in a new window)
Annual reporting
- Completing the Annual Safety and Integrity Compliance Report:
Annual_Safety_and_Integrity_Compliance_Report_ Template_2018(opens in a new window)
Contact us
If you have any queries in relation to gas infrastructure and pipeline safety, please contact our Gas Technical Helpline directly on 1800 652 563 or by email on gastechnicalenquiry@energysafe.vic.gov.au.
Gas Infrastructure Safety Cases
As at 22 October 2018, two sets of gas safety regulations under the Gas Safety Act 1997 came into effect.
Most of the provisions from the Gas Safety (Gas Quality) Regulations 2017 have been included in the new Gas Safety (Safety Case) Regulations 2018 as they are largely of interest to the same stakeholders. One provision relating to the supply of LPG has been included in the Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2018 given it has broader application across the gas supply industry.
Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2018
The primary objective of the Regulations is to reduce the risks associated with the use of gas appliances and gasfitting work, and to ensure that controls on gas appliances and complex gas installations operate efficiently.
Gas Safety (Safety Case) Regulations 2018
The regulations require gas companies – including natural gas transmission and distribution companies, gas retailers and LP Gas businesses – to submit a safety case to ESV and to comply with an accepted safety case. The Gas Safety Act 1997 also allows submission of safety cases for complex gas installations on a voluntary basis and permits complex gas installation operators and Type B gas appliance manufacturers to seek exemption from prescriptive compliance requirements.
The primary objective of the Regulations is to prescribe content requirements for safety cases and safety management systems, standards of gas quality and requirements for testing of gas conveyed through pipelines, and requirements for reporting of gas incidents to ESV.
Safety case policy and guidelines
In addition to the regulations, ESV has published three key documents which support the application of the safety management regime.
- Energy Infrastructure Safety Management Policy: explains how ESV intends to interpret and apply the safety management regime, and clarify what is intended to be achieved through compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
ESV_Energy_Infrastructure_Safety_Mngt_Policy_Dec19(opens in a new window)
- Gas Safety Case Preparation and Submission for Facilities and Pipelines Guidelines: intended to help you better understand how to develop and comply with an accepted safety case.
Gas Safety Case Preparation and Submission for facilities and pipelines(opens in a new window)
- Safety Management Plan Preparation and Submission for Pipelines: to help you understand how to develop and comply with an accepted safety management plan.
Safety Management Plan Preparation and Submission for Pipelines(opens in a new window)
Date: 20/05/2024 7:55
Controlled document
The currency and accuracy of this document cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the ESV website for the current version.
Reviewed