New Electricity Fees for the Indian Ocean Territories

The Australian Government is responsible for the delivery of state-type services including the delivery of electricity services to the communities of Christmas Island (CI) and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI) through the IOT Power Service.

Electricity fees are reviewed annually and aligned to those in Western Australia (WA) in line with Australian Government policy that ‘communities in the external territories have comparable services and essential infrastructure to mainland Australia’.
The fees have been amended via the relevant amendment determinations.

The fixed fees (supply charges) and consumption fees (usage charges) have increases ranging from 1.75 per cent for residential premises (A2) to 3.70 per cent for business premises (L2).

Please note these fees are the same as those applied in remote locations in WA and relatively similar to those applied in WA metropolitan regions, less the GST component.

The Australian Government continues to subsidise the provision of electricity in the IOT as it is not pursuing full cost recovery for this service.

Copies of the full fee Determinations and associated Explanatory Statements for each Territory can be found at the Federal Register of Legislation’s website at https://www.legislation.gov.au/by searching for the respective Determination below:

• Christmas Island Utilities and Services (Electricity Supply and Services Fees) Amendment (2019 Measures No.1) Determination 2019 [F2019L01381]
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands Utilities and Services (Electricity Supply and Services Fees) Amendment (2019 Measures No. 1) Determination 2019 [F2019L01382].

The revised rates listed in these Determinations take effect from 1 November 2019.

Mrs Natasha Griggs
Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands