Energy and Land Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Act 2025

Maximum penalties for certain offences under the Electricity Safety Act and the Gas Safety Act have increased, with a focus on offences that relate to consumer safety. Further information on penalties.

Energy Safe can immediately suspend the registration of an electrical contractor or the licence of an electrical worker on public interest grounds, including where there are risks to safety or significant property damage. Further information on immediate suspensions.

Energy Safe can apply to the court for an injunction to prevent a person engaging in conduct that constitutes or would constitute a contravention of the Electricity Safety Act, the Gas Safety Act or associated regulations.

Energy Safe can apply to the court to make an order requiring a person who is convicted or found guilty of an offence to disclose or publicise information about their offending conduct.

Specified operators of at-risk electric lines (excluding major electricity companies) must now submit bushfire mitigation plans to Energy Safe at least every five years, instead of annually. Further information on changes to specified operator bushfire mitigation plans.

These Regulations, which include the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance, will now sunset every 10 years instead of five.

Energy Safe will now prepare a corporate plan every three years, rather than annually.

Energy Safe’s Chairperson or authorised officers will be able to issue a prohibition notice under the Electricity Safety Act to stop an activity that is creating an immediate safety risk.

The legislated requirement for this committee will be removed.

• New entry power: Authorised officers will, with a warrant, be able to enter a premises where there is a reasonable belief of safety risks or non-compliance with a direction.
• Expanded scope of improvement notices: Authorised officers will have expanded powers to issue improvement notices for any contraventions of the Electricity Safety Act.
• Request for assistance: Authorised officers will be able to request the assistance of any person for the purpose of exercising their powers. It will be an offence to refuse entry, hinder or obstruct a person assisting.

References to ‘enforcement officer’ in the Electricity Safety Act and ‘inspector’ in the Gas Safety Act will be changed to ‘authorised officer’ for consistency.