Electricity Supply Industry Act 1995

The Minister may make an emergency restriction order restricting the use of electricity.

An emergency restriction order may only be made if the Minister is satisfied that – an electricity entity – is presently unable to meet the demands for electricity from its customers because of failure of, or damage to, its electricity infrastructure or for any other reason; or may not be able to sustain hydro-electric electricity generation at the level of current demand because of depletion of water supplies; and the electricity may not reasonably be obtained from an alternative source; and the order is necessary to restrict electricity use to the level of available or sustainable supply.

Before making an emergency restriction order because of the depletion of water supplies available for hydro-electric electricity generation, the Minister must consider the advice of an advisory committee established to monitor and advise the Minister on the adequacy of the available water supplies.

An emergency restriction order – must be made in writing; and must state the grounds on which the order is made; and must state the restrictions on the use of electricity imposed by the order; and must be published in a way that ensures, in the Minister's opinion, that the order will come to the attention of the persons affected by it.

Without limiting subsection (4)(c), the order may – restrict the classes of customers to whom electricity may be supplied; or prescribe the maximum demand that may be placed on a power system by an electrical installation; or restrict the purposes for which electricity may be used; or restrict the nature of electrical equipment that may be used by customers; or authorise an authorised officer to disconnect the electricity supply to installations of a specified class or to take other specified action to enforce a restriction imposed by the order.

If an emergency restriction order is made because of the depletion of water supplies available for hydro-electric electricity generation the order must be laid before both Houses of Parliament and is subject to disallowance in the same way as a regulation.