Emerging Issues 2019 - for the Australian resources and renewable energy industry

The NSW Government has doubled the objection threshold for electricity generating works to be referred to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) and removed objection-based IPC referral for battery energy storage systems altogether. These changes seek to materially reduce approval risk for proponents across the energy sector.

Many industrial customers face rising energy costs, among other challenges. We look at examples of government support provided so far.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) stage of Australia’s first offshore wind auction opened in Victoria on 26 August 2026.

Pastoralists should identify the water and operational assets that matter to the station before activity begins, then ensure any access or commercial agreement clearly deals with monitoring, disruption, rehabilitation, liability and review. The legal position will depend on the mining or exploration licence (as the case may be), the pastoral lease, government policy, approvals and proposed activity, but early preparation gives a family stronger footing in discussions.

Greenwashing litigation in Australia has entered a new phase. Until now, these cases have been brought by regulators, shareholder groups and advocacy organisations. A consumer class action has now been filed in the Federal Court against AGL Energy Limited (AGL) – the first greenwashing class action in Australia.

Default offers in Australia's retail electricity market were designed to eliminate loyalty penalties and simplify plan comparisons, but how exactly do regulators calculate these price caps? The Australian Energy Regulator and Essential Services Commission now employ similar bottom-up methodologies that stack various cost components to determine what a prudent retailer would need to charge a representative customer.

The article includes key considerations, what your business needs to comply and some tips on the changes in legislation.

In early 2012 the NZ Government proposed selling up to 49 per cent of shares in Government owned hydropower companies.

In May 2020, Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian multinational mining company and the world's biggest iron ore miner, destroyed two ancient caves in Pilbara, Western Australia.

Utility organizations face mounting pressure to address customer hardship through comprehensive ecosystem changes. This analysis explores how utilities can implement interventions across individual, organizational, and systemic levels to create meaningful impact. The framework presented offers a multi-layered approach to transforming reactive support into proactive, system-wide solutions.