How are supply issues in the gas market affecting the energy sector?

Power poles supply

Carrillo Gantner Theatre
Sidney Myer Asia Centre
Swanston St
The University of Melbourne
Parkville VIC 3010

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Caitlin McGrane

caitlin.mcgrane@unimelb.edu.au

T: +61 3 9035 9458

Australian gas prices have been high for some time now, recently reaching triple the historical average. As gas prices escalate further, the impacts on Australian manufacturing and small business and at the household level, are becoming clear. As are the follow on effects to the broader energy system.

In this seminar hear from Mark Butler, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy as he outlines Labor’s plans to address the gas price crisis. Rosemary Sinclair, CEO of Energy Consumers Australia will explain how residential and small businesses have been affected. Australian manufacturer Qenos will bring the perspective of a large industrial gas user. Our event will be moderated by Amandine Denis-Ryan, Acting CEO and Head of Research at ClimateWorks Australia.

Panel

The Hon Mark Butler, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Mark Butler has been the Labor Member for Port Adelaide in the federal parliament since 2007 and in July 2016 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Mark served as Minister for Ageing and Australia’s first Minister for Mental Health in the Gillard Government. He has also held the ministries of Housing, Homelessness, Social Inclusion, Climate Change, Water and the Environment. He was elected as National President to the ALP in 2015. Mark is the author of Advanced Australia - The Politics of Ageing, published in 2015.

Rosemary Sinclair, CEO, Energy Consumers Australia
Rosemary Sinclair is the CEO of Energy Consumers Australia, established by the Council of Australian Governments Energy Council to enhance consumer advocacy on national energy market matters of strategic importance and material consequence for energy consumers, in particular household and small business consumers. Rosemary has many years of senior large-scale operations, communications and strategy experience in business and government across telecommunications, media and education. 

Robert D'Alessandro, Head of Procurement & Supply, Qenos
Robert D'Alessandro is the Head of Procurement and Supply at Qenos Ltd, a Bluestar company and the sole manufacturer of polyethylene resin in Australia. Core to his role covering Procurement, S&OP, and Logistics and Distribution, is Robert's accountability for energy & gas supply. Qenos consumes up to 30PJ per annum feedstock gas (ethane) which is the key input into Qenos' manufacturing process along with natural gas and electricity. Qenos directly contributes more than $1 billion a year to the Australian economy. Prior to joining Qenos, Robert's held various role in procurement and supply chain consulting at BHP Billiton, Atos KPMG consulting and General Motors.

Moderator - Amandine Denis-Ryan, Acting CEO and Head of Research, ClimateWorks Australia
Amandine Denis-Ryan is Acting CEO and Head of Research at ClimateWorks Australia. ClimateWorks Australia is an expert, independent adviser, committed to helping Australia transition to net zero emissions by 2050. It was co-founded through a partnership between Monash University and The Myer Foundation and works within the Monash Sustainable Development Institute. Amandine oversees the research and analysis for ClimateWorks' projects, looking at what opportunities exist in Australia to reduce carbon emissions, what the associated costs and benefits are, and how we can accelerate their implementation.

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