EXECUTIVE REPORTS
Chief Executive Officer’s report
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hat a challenging year 2021 has turned out to be. I can distinctly remember looking forward to it as I reflected on 2020 in the last days of the working year before Christmas! Fast forward eight months and I am writing this from lockdown and busy organising APGA’s Virtual Convention for the second year running. Making the decision to go virtual this year was not a great experience, but unfortunately it is increasing clear it was the right one. The support and understanding from exhibitors, sponsors, delegates and members has been fantastic and the Board and secretariat genuinely appreciate everyone’s response. I’d especially like to thank the sponsors that are staying with us for the Virtual Convention. Their support will make a real difference to the bottom line of the association this year and that is something that will benefit all members as we are able to continue providing services throughout the year. You’ll find them all listed on page 19. In addition to the great support the association has received in moving to the Virtual Convention, a further silver-lining is the uncertainty it has removed from our processes. Pretty much everyone at the secretariat is involved in events in one way or another and this year the team has had all the work of every event combined with the need to cancel, reschedule and renegotiate contracts for many that we’ve had to change. The team has done well in difficult circumstances and now everyone is freed up to focus on delivering the best virtual event we can. This edition also marks the final message from Tony O’Sullivan, APGA President. Every President experiences a different presidency, and I would be willing to bet there would be very few takers looking to swap their experience with Tony’s! Tony’s term coincided with having to postpone both annual conventions, having the Audit and Risk Committee meet monthly during 2020 to maintain oversight of the budget and with having to replace our long-standing
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Business Manager. To top it all off, he hasn’t had the opportunity to deliver the President’s address at the opening session of the Convention. The world has changed a lot in the past two years, and we have reviewed the risk register a couple of times in this period. Tony has brought his significant experience to that process, leaving this important governance tool of the association in very good shape. Tony has also been a great Chair of Board meetings. You all know the characters in this group and Tony has kept us on time and on track every meeting while ensuring everyone has the opportunity to speak. Tony, thank you for everything you have done for the association in the past two years. Much work of the Board and President is not always highly visible but I am very grateful for the time and energy you have put in. In 2021, we have seen a big step up in the climate and energy discussion. There is plenty of debate still, but I would say it is now far more focused on the best way to reach net-zero, rather than the timing or necessity of the goal itself. In the past few months, APGA has devoted time and effort into responding to the Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap process. I found it interesting how much work the gas industry needed to put into the submissions made. Despite the wealth of great information available on the transition to renewable gas and the benefits of gaseous energy, until this government process focused our attention, it had not really been pulled together in a comprehensive way. Now the work is done and we are working with other parts of the gas sector to turn the information in our submissions into a new, comprehensive report setting out the detailed case for natural gas today and renewable gas tomorrow. The National Policy Manager’s article covers some key points made in this process. Finally, I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2021 Inputs. Assumptions and Scenarios Report. This innocuously titled report is an influential step on the way to AEMO’s 2022 Integrated Systems Plan, a key planning document for The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021
ABN: 29 098 754 324 APGA Secretariat Registered Office: 7 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 (PO Box 5416, Kingston ACT 2604) T: +61 2 6273 0577 F: +61 2 6273 0588 E: apga@apga.org.au W: www.apga.org.au Chief Executive Officer Steve Davies Corporate Services Manager Peter Heffernan National Policy Manager Jordan McCollum Communications Manager Karen Polglaze Engagement Manager Dean Bennett Membership Officer Katy Spence Acting Administration and Events Officer Belinda Haddon
the energy industry. AEMO considered four future scenarios as inputs this year and the ‘Hydrogen Superpower’ scenario, whereby Australia develops a major hydrogen industry by 2040, is the scenario that gets us to net-zero most quickly and with the highest level of economic growth. It is a timely, independent analysis of the potential of hydrogen and other renewable gases and a good sign the gas industry has a promising future in the decades ahead. We’ll be talking more about this at the Virtual Convention, I hope we see you there!
STEVE DAVIES CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
