Gas market
We have a central role in governing, monitoring and advising on the gas market to ensure that gas is delivered in a safe, efficient, fair, reliable and environmentally sustainable manner.
On this page I tēnei whārangi
The Gas Industry Company
We oversee and monitor the activities of the Gas Industry Company (GIC), which was established in 2004 as the gas industry body under Part 4A of the Gas Act 1992.
Gas Industry Company(external link)
Gas Act 1992(external link) — Legislation New Zealand
GIC is responsible for making formal recommendations to the Minister of Energy on gas industry rules and regulations and also supports industry-led arrangements. GIC is required to develop governance arrangements that align with the Government's objectives as set out in the Gas Act 1992 and the Government Policy Statement on Gas Governance 2008. These can take the form of rules, regulations or non-regulatory arrangements such as voluntary codes or multilateral contracts.
Read the Government Policy Statement on Gas Governance [PDF, 35 KB]
We assess recommendations made by the GIC on:
- gas processing
- wholesaling
- transmission
- distribution and retailing
- administering parts of the Gas Act 1992.
The GIC levies industry participants to fund its operations.
Further information on gas levies(external link) — Gas Industry Company Limited
Other agencies
Several other regulatory agencies also have oversight of aspects of the gas sector:
- Energy Safety, part of WorkSafe, is responsible for the administration and development of parts of the Gas Act, and for regulations and Codes of Practice relating to safety, quality and measurement of gas.
- The Commerce Commission administers information disclosure and default/customised price-quality regulation, under Part 4 of the Commerce Act 1986 that applies to gas pipeline services companies.
Energy Safety(external link) — Worksafe NZ
Information on gas pipeline regulations(external link) — Commerce Commission
Related information
- Utilities Disputes Limited provides free and independent dispute resolution services for electricity, gas, and water complaints. By law, all gas retailers and distributers must be members of this scheme.
- Compare the price plans of gas retailers in your area at Consumer NZ's Powerswitch website.
- New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals manages the Crown's oil, gas, mineral and coal resources.
In this section I tēnei wāhanga
Gas security
Maintaining gas supply for all its current uses is vital to our energy security for the foreseeable future.
Gas regulatory framework
The gas market is governed by regulations and rules jointly developed by the Gas Industry Company and the government.
Gas supply and demand information
Natural gas underpins electricity supply security, supports a substantial petrochemical manufacturing sector and is used by many export industries.
Gas operator status
Gas distributors may need to apply for gas operator status to perform certain activities in some areas.
LNG in New Zealand
The Government is procuring liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility services to improve the security of New Zealand’s energy supply and lower electricity prices. An LNG import facility could be operational by 2027 or early 2028.