Why network resilience matters
Severe weather can damage electricity distribution networks and leave homes, businesses and communities without power for extended periods. Improving network resilience can reduce the likelihood of prolonged outages and lessen their consequences when they occur.
A Network Resilience Plan (NRP) sets out a distribution company's commitments to deliver resilience projects. These projects are intended to improve the ability of electricity networks to withstand and recover from severe weather events and strengthen the reliability of electricity supply for Victorian communities.
It helps the community understand what will be delivered and provides a basis for Energy Safe Victoria to monitor implementation and assess compliance.
The Network Resilience Plan framework
The NRP framework was established through amendments to the Electricity Safety Act 1998 (Vic) that commenced on 8 September 2026. It applies to Victorian electricity distribution companies that have resilience expenditure approved by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).
Under the framework:
- The AER assesses and approves a distribution company’s resilience expenditure through its Electricity Distribution Pricing Review process and issues a notice specifying the associated resilience projects.
- The distribution company prepares and submits an NRP explaining how those resilience projects will be delivered.
- Energy Safe assesses the NRP against the statutory acceptance criteria and accepts the NRP once satisfied that it meets the criteria.
- Once accepted, the distribution company must implement the NRP and report annually on progress and compliance.
- Energy Safe monitors implementation and oversees compliance with the accepted NRP.
What distribution companies must do
A distribution company that receives an AER notice specifying projects with approved resilience expenditure must:
- prepare and submit an NRP to Energy Safe for acceptance
- publish its accepted NRPs on its website
- take all steps reasonably practicable in the circumstances to comply with the accepted NRP
- submit an annual compliance report to Energy Safe
- publish each annual compliance report on its website.
A distribution company may also apply to Energy Safe to vary an accepted NRP.
Guidelines and supporting documents
Energy Safe has published guidelines and approved templates to support distribution companies in meeting their obligations under the NRP framework. Energy Safe has also published an explanatory statement, which outlines why the guidelines were developed, the consultation undertaken by Energy Safe, the key issues raised by stakeholders and the changes made following consultation.
Guidelines
Network Resilience Plan Guidelines for Victorian Electricity Distribution Companies
Templates
NRP submission cover sheet (Attachment A)
NRP template (Attachment B)
Annual compliance report template (Attachment C)
Application form to vary an accepted NRP (Attachment D)
Explanatory statement
Network Resilience Plan Guidelines – Explanatory statement and consultation response
Submitting an NRP or related document
Distribution companies should use the approved templates when submitting:
- an NRP
- an annual compliance report
- an application to vary an accepted NRP.
Each submission must include a completed NRP submission cover sheet and any other documents required by the guidelines.
Email submissions to: resilience.plans@energysafe.vic.gov.au
Refer to the guidelines for detailed information about submission requirements, statutory timeframes and assessment processes.
Contact us
For enquiries regarding Network Resilience Plans, annual compliance reports or variation applications, contact: resilience.plans@energysafe.vic.gov.au
Date: 28/10/2026 2:54
The currency and accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the Energy Safe Victoria website for the current version.
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