Managing a reliable, resilient and safe network

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As part of our Regulatory Proposal 'Reset' Engagement for 2025-2030, we are holding a series of 'Focussed Conversations' workshops with our stakeholders and customers to engage deeply on priority topics and better understand their current needs and future priorities for electricity.

We commenced our first Focussed Conversation on Managing a reliable, resilient and safe network to provide stakeholders with an overview of the factors impacting service outcomes, including ageing assets. Given the interdependencies between the topics of replacement expenditure (REPEX), capacity, resilience, reliability and bushfire safety, we combined the topics to address as an entity.

Read our People's Panel recommendations for this topic

Click to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Reliability and bushfire safety.

Click to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Security of supply (capacity).

Click to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Network resilience.

Click here to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Assets and Works funding.

Please note: Our expenditure, revenue and price forecasts will continue to be refined as we go through the stages of our consumer engagement process and also incorporate the latest economic conditions. Therefore, the forecasts presented in the Focussed Conversations may vary from those that will be taken to our People's Panel in February 2023.



Focussed Conversation Topic Timeline



Workshop 1 - Managing a safe, reliable and resilient network

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held online on Friday, 19 August and was attended by 34 stakeholders representing a range of businesses, key industry representatives, governmental organisations and advocates along with SA Power Networks staff members.

What did we engage on?

Participants were asked to consider several questions relating to:

  • What topics are important and is anything missing?
  • Are you happy with our proposed engagement approach and workshop schedule?
  • Are we covering the right topics?
  • Do we have the right stakeholders to provide advice?

What did we learn?

Discussions were held around the topics of defining reliability, what impacts reliability on the network and what impacts the safety of the network. Click here to read the key takeaways from the first session here. A detailed summary of this topic will be made available once all the workshops have concluded.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30 and the Network resilience Focussed conversation. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to watch a video recording of our first workshop on this topic.

Click here to read a brief summary of notes and discussions from this workshop.


Workshop 2 - Delivering service outcomes through asset replacement

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held on Monday, 29 August and was attended by 21 stakeholders representing a range of businesses, key industry representatives, governmental organisations and customer advocates along with SA Power Networks staff members.

What did we engage on?

Maintaining a safe and reliable supply of electricity across South Australia is at the core of our operations. We currently have a significant proportion of our network assets reaching their end of life. Replacement expenditure (REPEX) is the largest component of our capital expenditure, with total REPEX in the current 2020-25 period forecast to be in the order of $610 million of the $1.2 billion in total network investment, However our current rate of replacement is the lowest in the National Electricity Market and is not sustainable.

This workshop focussed on managing the risks posed by the deterioration of the assets that make up the distribution network and the implications for customers if we do not increase our rate of replacement. The session provided stakeholders with an understanding of the challenges and drivers associated with managing ageing infrastructure and what it meant for customers in terms of service outcomes such as reliability and safety.

What did we learn?

Discussions were held around the scenarios presented to gain feedback if they were considered appropriate and preferred. Stakeholders were also asked about any other factors we should be considering or additional evidence they’d like to be presented to support their decision-making.
A detailed summary of this topic will be made available once all the workshops have concluded.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30 and the REPEX Focussed conversations. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to watch a video recording of our workshop.


Workshop 3 - Delivering service outcomes through improved reliability, capacity, resilience and bushfire safety

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held on Thursday, 15 September and was attended by 41 stakeholders from relevant organisations along with the members of our Community Advisory Board (CAB), CAB Reset sub-committee and the Australian Energy Regulator's Consumer Challenge Panel (CCP30). The session saw presentation from members of SA Power Networks staff on topics of reliability, bushfire safety and resilience.

What did we engage on?

As part of our conversations with the stakeholders, we engaged on the levels of services our customers support, any additional factors we should be considering, and scenarios preferred most by the stakeholders.

As a part of the workshop, we explored with the participants to discuss:

  • What network resilience to future weather patterns is and why it's important
  • Our current performance levels and their views on it
  • The role of SA Power Networks in community resilience and other key stakeholders we might work with
  • Our approach to using climate science and modelling to inform investment decisions
  • Options for investments to build resilience.

What did we learn?

The session was well received with participants engaging with us on the role we play in community resilience and future options for investments to build resilience within our network.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to read the Feedback summary from this session.

Click here to watch a video recording of our workshop session.


Workshop 4 - Optimising asset investment

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held on Friday, 21 October and was attended by 27 stakeholders from relevant organisations along with the members of our Community Advisory Board (CAB), CAB Reset sub-committee and the Australian Energy Regulator's Consumer Challenge Panel (CCP30). The session saw presentation from members of SA Power Networks staff on topics of optimising asset replacement.

What did we engage on?

The workshop on optimising asset investment was the final of our four workshops for this topic and brought together all the topics we covered in this stream in terms of how we can manage the reliability, safety and resilient through asset replacement and asset augmentation.

We discussed with our stakeholders the preferred service levels and how the investment in our network can deliver safety and reliabolity outcomes. The session also covered related topics such as how we seek to improve in-field efficiency in delivering on these outcomes and how we look at resourcing and deliverability.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to watch a video recording of the workshop.

As part of our Regulatory Proposal 'Reset' Engagement for 2025-2030, we are holding a series of 'Focussed Conversations' workshops with our stakeholders and customers to engage deeply on priority topics and better understand their current needs and future priorities for electricity.

We commenced our first Focussed Conversation on Managing a reliable, resilient and safe network to provide stakeholders with an overview of the factors impacting service outcomes, including ageing assets. Given the interdependencies between the topics of replacement expenditure (REPEX), capacity, resilience, reliability and bushfire safety, we combined the topics to address as an entity.

Read our People's Panel recommendations for this topic

Click to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Reliability and bushfire safety.

Click to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Security of supply (capacity).

Click to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Network resilience.

Click here to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for Assets and Works funding.

Please note: Our expenditure, revenue and price forecasts will continue to be refined as we go through the stages of our consumer engagement process and also incorporate the latest economic conditions. Therefore, the forecasts presented in the Focussed Conversations may vary from those that will be taken to our People's Panel in February 2023.



Focussed Conversation Topic Timeline



Workshop 1 - Managing a safe, reliable and resilient network

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held online on Friday, 19 August and was attended by 34 stakeholders representing a range of businesses, key industry representatives, governmental organisations and advocates along with SA Power Networks staff members.

What did we engage on?

Participants were asked to consider several questions relating to:

  • What topics are important and is anything missing?
  • Are you happy with our proposed engagement approach and workshop schedule?
  • Are we covering the right topics?
  • Do we have the right stakeholders to provide advice?

What did we learn?

Discussions were held around the topics of defining reliability, what impacts reliability on the network and what impacts the safety of the network. Click here to read the key takeaways from the first session here. A detailed summary of this topic will be made available once all the workshops have concluded.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30 and the Network resilience Focussed conversation. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to watch a video recording of our first workshop on this topic.

Click here to read a brief summary of notes and discussions from this workshop.


Workshop 2 - Delivering service outcomes through asset replacement

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held on Monday, 29 August and was attended by 21 stakeholders representing a range of businesses, key industry representatives, governmental organisations and customer advocates along with SA Power Networks staff members.

What did we engage on?

Maintaining a safe and reliable supply of electricity across South Australia is at the core of our operations. We currently have a significant proportion of our network assets reaching their end of life. Replacement expenditure (REPEX) is the largest component of our capital expenditure, with total REPEX in the current 2020-25 period forecast to be in the order of $610 million of the $1.2 billion in total network investment, However our current rate of replacement is the lowest in the National Electricity Market and is not sustainable.

This workshop focussed on managing the risks posed by the deterioration of the assets that make up the distribution network and the implications for customers if we do not increase our rate of replacement. The session provided stakeholders with an understanding of the challenges and drivers associated with managing ageing infrastructure and what it meant for customers in terms of service outcomes such as reliability and safety.

What did we learn?

Discussions were held around the scenarios presented to gain feedback if they were considered appropriate and preferred. Stakeholders were also asked about any other factors we should be considering or additional evidence they’d like to be presented to support their decision-making.
A detailed summary of this topic will be made available once all the workshops have concluded.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30 and the REPEX Focussed conversations. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to watch a video recording of our workshop.


Workshop 3 - Delivering service outcomes through improved reliability, capacity, resilience and bushfire safety

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held on Thursday, 15 September and was attended by 41 stakeholders from relevant organisations along with the members of our Community Advisory Board (CAB), CAB Reset sub-committee and the Australian Energy Regulator's Consumer Challenge Panel (CCP30). The session saw presentation from members of SA Power Networks staff on topics of reliability, bushfire safety and resilience.

What did we engage on?

As part of our conversations with the stakeholders, we engaged on the levels of services our customers support, any additional factors we should be considering, and scenarios preferred most by the stakeholders.

As a part of the workshop, we explored with the participants to discuss:

  • What network resilience to future weather patterns is and why it's important
  • Our current performance levels and their views on it
  • The role of SA Power Networks in community resilience and other key stakeholders we might work with
  • Our approach to using climate science and modelling to inform investment decisions
  • Options for investments to build resilience.

What did we learn?

The session was well received with participants engaging with us on the role we play in community resilience and future options for investments to build resilience within our network.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to read the Feedback summary from this session.

Click here to watch a video recording of our workshop session.


Workshop 4 - Optimising asset investment

Who did we engage?

The workshop was held on Friday, 21 October and was attended by 27 stakeholders from relevant organisations along with the members of our Community Advisory Board (CAB), CAB Reset sub-committee and the Australian Energy Regulator's Consumer Challenge Panel (CCP30). The session saw presentation from members of SA Power Networks staff on topics of optimising asset replacement.

What did we engage on?

The workshop on optimising asset investment was the final of our four workshops for this topic and brought together all the topics we covered in this stream in terms of how we can manage the reliability, safety and resilient through asset replacement and asset augmentation.

We discussed with our stakeholders the preferred service levels and how the investment in our network can deliver safety and reliabolity outcomes. The session also covered related topics such as how we seek to improve in-field efficiency in delivering on these outcomes and how we look at resourcing and deliverability.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop presentation.

Click here to watch a video recording of the workshop.

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Page last updated: 20 Jan 2023, 04:57 PM