Submission to AEIC Review of community engagement practices

PIAC made a submission to the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s (AEIC) review of community engagement practices.

We propose regulatory changes aimed at raising the minimum standards network services must fulfil in order to have projects and revenue proposals approved, as well as a new authority to champion and coordinate benefits from the energy transition accruing to regional communities.

Ultimately, social licence for energy projects will turn on the ability of network and energy companies committing to cultures of good engagement and treating local communities, as well as consumers, as stakeholders whose licence needs to be acquired for projects to proceed, rather than affected parties who need to be merely informed and managed.