AGY-1860 | Sydney Electricity

Full description

The Sydney Electricity Act 1990, which commenced on 2 January 1991 (1), dissolved the Sydney County Council and constituted a body corporate with the name Sydney Electricity. (2) Under the Act, ten directors were to be appointed to determine the policies of the corporation (3) and a Chief Executive appointed to manage and control affairs in accordance with these policies. (4)

Sydney Electricity's principal functions under the Act included the purchase, supply and distribution of electricity; the provision and maintenance of works for the supply of electricity; the development, manufacture and supply of electrical fittings and appliances; the protection of the public from dangers arising from the transmission, distribution and use of electricity; the promotion of the safe and efficient use of electricity and electrical fittings and appliances; and the promotion of energy conservation and of measures to increase the efficiency of energy transmission and use. (5)

These functions were to be exercised within the Sydney Electricity District and, with the approval of the Minister, outside the District. (6) The Sydney Electricity District was described in the Act as comprising five Electricity Supply Districts in a region stretching between the local government areas of Gosford in the north and Sutherland in the south. (7)

In 1995, the Government embarked on a restructuring of the electricity generation and distribution sectors. On 1 October 1995, the "staff, assets, rights and liabilities" of Sydney Electricity were formally transferred to a new electricity distributor, MetNorth Energy (8), and the Sydney Electricity District abolished. (9) On 1 October 1995 and 29 February 1996, the assets and staff of Shortland Electricity, trading as Orion Energy, were also transferred to MetNorth (10) though, between these dates, Sydney Electricity continued to operate pending the completion of the restructuring process. (11)

On 1 March 1996, MetNorth Energy was reconstituted under the new Energy Services Corporations Act 1995. (12) The following day, it was renamed EnergyAustralia. (13) The Electricity Supply Act, 1995 repealed the Sydney Electricity Act 1990 and, on 1 March 1996, Sydney Electricity was formally dissolved. (14)

The formation of EnergyAustralia was generally regarded as a merger between Sydney Electricity and Orion Energy. (15)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.174, 21 December 1990, p.11207.
2. Sydney Electricity Act 1990 (Act No.117, 1990), s.4; Sch.5, cl.3.
3. Ibid., ss.8-9.
4. Ibid., ss.14-15.
5. Ibid., s.5.
6. Ibid., s.6(3).
7. Ibid., Sch.1.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.118, 27 September 1995, p.6932.
9. Ibid., p.6919.
10. Ibid., p.6930; NSW Government Gazette No.25, 29 February 1996, p.829.
11. Orion Energy - Insight, October 1995 (NRS 21149/3).
12. NSW Government Gazette No.26, 1 March 1996, pp.943-44.
13. Ibid., p.833; Energy Services Corporations Act 1995 (Act No.95, 1995), Sch.1.
14. Electricity Supply Act, 1995 (Act No.94, 1995), Sch.6, cl.12; NSW Government Gazette No.26, 1 March 1996, p.831.
15. Energy Australia Annual Report 1996, pp.4, 5.