❓ Mr Leary questions the government regarding ATCO's decision to decommission the Albany gas network, seeking cost details and analysis related to upgrading versus decommissioning. The Minister's response indicates the government has no direct role due to privatisation.
AnsweredQoN 2053Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to ATCO’s decision to decommission the Albany reticulated gas network on the basis that replacement or upgrade would be “uneconomic” or impose an “unacceptable cost” on customers, and I ask:(a) What is the estimated total capital cost to maintain, repair or replace the Albany gas network to a safe and operational standard;(b) Has ATCO provided the Government with detailed costings, modelling or a business case supporting its claim that upgrading the network would be uneconomic;(c) If yes, when will the Minister table that information;(d) What specific assumptions were used to determine that upgrade costs would be “unacceptable”;(e) Has any analysis been undertaken of what level of cost would be considered a reasonable cost recovery through supply charges and government contributions over the remaining life of the asset; and(f) Has the Government compared the cost of upgrading the network against the total cost of decommissioning and transitioning all customers?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 May 2026
Responded by
Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation
Response time
6 days
(a) – (f)
The previous Government privatised the Albany Gas Distribution System (AGDS). The State Government no longer has a role in owning, operating or maintaining the AGDS.
The decommissioning of the AGDS was a commercial decision made by ATCO Australia as the private owner and operator of the network. In January 2026, ATCO Australia publicly released that the estimated total capital cost to replace the AGDS was $80 million.
The previous Government privatised the Albany Gas Distribution System (AGDS). The State Government no longer has a role in owning, operating or maintaining the AGDS.
The decommissioning of the AGDS was a commercial decision made by ATCO Australia as the private owner and operator of the network. In January 2026, ATCO Australia publicly released that the estimated total capital cost to replace the AGDS was $80 million.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.