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Gas pipeline and infrastructure safety

Energy Safe Victoria audits, monitors and reviews safety frameworks and construction and operation activities undertaken by industry.

Overview

Energy Safe Victoria regulates the safety of gas infrastructure and licensed pipelines in Victoria. We are responsible for ensuring energy infrastructure and pipelines are safe during their construction, commissioning, operation, suspension and decommissioning, and for ensuring the safe conveyance, sale, supply, and use of gas.

Our functions and objectives are outlined in the Gas Safety Act 1997 and the Pipelines Act 2005.

Energy Safe audits, monitors and reviews safety frameworks and construction and operation activities undertaken by the industry. In doing so, compliance is assessed in accordance with the applicable Acts, associated regulations and standards.

Gas and pipeline industry

The gas infrastructure and pipelines sector comprises:

  • Licensed pipelines, which includes:
    • gas transmission pipelines
    • petroleum, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, compressed air, sulphuric acid and methanol pipelines
  • Gas infrastructure, which includes:
    • gas distribution pipelines
    • reticulated Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
    • landfill biogas networks
    • Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) networks
  • natural gas retailers
  • declared LPG retailers
  • The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) – the market operator for the declared Victorian Transmission System (VTS).

Gas pipelines guidance

Illegal repairs to damaged live gas infrastructure:

GPIS_Bulletin_Illegal_repairs_gas_infrastructure
PDF 32.13 KB
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Building Near Pipelines

Building Near Pipelines: Restrictions and Responsibilities:

Guideline – Building Near Pipelines
PDF 304.91 KB
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Application for Ministerial Consent

Application for Ministerial Consent
PDF 58.77 KB
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Transmission Pipeline Encroachment Enforcement Strategy

Transmission_Pipeline_Encroachment_Enforcement_Strategy
PDF 91.74 KB
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Gas Asset Damage Enforcement Strategy

Gas_Asset_Damage_Enforcement_Strategy
PDF 92.08 KB
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Cathodic Protection

Cathodic Protection Report by Exception Guidelines

CathodicProtectionReport_ByException
PDF 118.63 KB
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Cathodic Protection Report Templates

Cathodic Protection Report - Templates
Excel 31.81 KB
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Classification of Audit Findings

Classification of Audit Findings - January 2021
PDF 120.96 KB
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Key performance indicators

Natural gas transmission

  • KPI Information specification:
Licensed Pipelines Industry Group (Natural Gas Transmission) Reporting
PDF 141.34 KB
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  • KPI Reporting template:
Licensed Pipelines Industry Group (Natural Gas Transmission) Reporting Template
Excel 51.92 KB
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Licensed pipelines (non-natural gas) transmission

Specifications for Victorian Licensed Pipelines Industry Group – reporting requirements

These reporting requirements came into effect on 1 July 2018.

  • KPI Information specification:
KPIs_Specifications_Licensed_Pipelines_Industry_Group_Oct2018
PDF 176.97 KB
(opens in a new window)
  • KPI Reporting template:
Licensed_Pipelines_report_template_Oct2018
Excel 72.68 KB
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Annual reporting

  • Completing the Annual Safety and Integrity Compliance Report:
Annual_Safety_and_Integrity_Compliance_Report_ Template_2018
PDF 121.21 KB
(opens in a new window)

Gas Infrastructure Safety Cases

Gas Safety (Safety Case) Regulations 2018

The objectives of the Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2018 include:

  • to make provision for safety cases
  • to provide for the reporting of gas incidents
  • to prescribe safety standards for the quality of gas and the test of natural gas conveyed through transmission pipelines.

Safety case policy and guidelines

These guidelines aim to help gas companies and pipeline licensees submit safety cases for acceptance. They include the Energy infrastructure safety case guidelines, which apply to all energy infrastructure companies, and other industry-specific guidance. Entities should review all relevant guidance before submitting a safety case for acceptance.

The guidelines include:

Energy infrastructure safety case guidelines

To assist all energy infrastructure companies in preparing and submitting their safety cases. This includes gas companies and pipeline licensees.

Energy infrastructure safety case guidelines

Gas safety case preparation and submission for facilities and pipelines guidelines

To help gas companies develop and comply with a gas safety case.

Gas Safety Case Preparation and Submission for facilities and pipelines
PDF 243.62 KB
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Safety Management Plan Preparation and Submission for Licensed Pipelines

To help pipeline licensees develop and comply with a safety management plan.

Safety Management Plan Preparation and Submission for Pipelines
PDF 558.13 KB
(opens in a new window)

Contact us

If you have any queries in relation to gas infrastructure and pipeline safety, please contact our Gas Technical Helpline directly on 1800 652 563 or by email on gastechnicalenquiry@energysafe.vic.gov.au.

Date: 01/02/2026 13:45

Controlled document

The currency and accuracy of this document cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the ESV website for the current version.

Reviewed