Customer and stakeholder engagement
We engage with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders across the State and are committed to improve the way in which we engage with these groups to ensure customer voice is heard in our decision-making. Through working together, we can better understand the needs of our customers and deliver services they value, while helping build trust and meet expectations of our community.
SA Power Networks' Consultative Groups
Ensuring our customers are at the heart of our business starts with good engagement. We engage with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders across the State and are committed to improving the way we engage with these groups and considering their needs in our decision-making.
Community Advisory Board (CAB)
The Community Advisory Board (CAB), formerly known as the Customer Consultative Panel (CCP), is SA Power Networks’ flagship consultation group ensuring that customer views shape service delivery and are at the heart of our decision-making process. The CAB consists of a broad range of stakeholders providing a representation of our community, including businesses, renewables, youth, regional stakeholders, customer advocacy groups, local government representatives and multicultural board members.
Following a refresh of our CAB in early 2022, we are delighted to introduce our 16-member board which was appointed in January 2022 for a two-year term. The board consists of the following members:
| Position | Representative |
|---|---|
| Chair | Dr. Jessie Byrne – Customer Representative |
| Deputy Chair | Kelvin Trimper, AM – Arborist Reference Group |
| Customer Representatives |
Doug Strain Mike Leane |
| Vulnerable customer advocates |
Andrew Stock Georgie Morris – SACOSS |
| Business customers advocate | Penny Ryall – Blue Scope |
| Renewable energy advocates |
Matt Curnow – Sustainable Savings Pty Ltd Jenny Paradiso – Suntrix |
| Local government representatives |
Cr Kat Mitchell – City of Port Adelaide Enfield Peter Scott – Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association |
| Multicultural representatives |
Jason (Huang) Song – C&J Accountants and Advisors Davis Veremu – Veremu Asset Management |
| Youth representative | Amber Brock-Fabel |
| Retailer | Elizabeth Molyneux – AGL |
| Regional representative | Susan Mary Chase |
For more information on our Board and what they do, visit Talking Power.
Reference Groups and Working Groups
A number of Reference Groups and Working Groups provide a forum to enable the views of a diverse range of customers to be represented, discussed and heard and ensure customer views are used to shape SA Power Networks decision-making in an ongoing way.
These groups, which you can see in more detail below, help us build stronger relationships with key stakeholders and enable meaningful discussions on a more regular basis.
We use the feedback from these groups to develop and refine our strategies, initiatives and activities, and meet the expectations of our current and future customers and stakeholders.
There are a number of ways energy companies can support vulnerable customers and SA Power Networks is committed to working with our Community Reference Group to understand customer needs and ensure the customer voice is considered and heard in our decision-making.
Our Community Reference Group provides a forum for listening and discussion on issues facing particular groups within the community, particularly vulnerable customers.
Wendy Shirley, CEO South Australian Financial Counsellors Association and Chair of our Community Reference Group says:
“I have been on the Customer Consultative Panel and the Community Reference Group since its inception. I have worked with SA Power Networks for over 5 years’ and have a high level of interest around electricity distribution in SA. Collaboration and working together in partnership to help all customers will assist in ensuring SA Power Networks remains in tune with all of their customers.”
The group consists of representatives from the following consumer advocacy and customer groups:
SA Council of Social Service (SACOSS)
SA Financial Counsellors Association
Multicultural Communities Council of SA
Salvation Army Australia
Australian Refugee Association
Anti-Poverty Network
Number of community representatives, including the Adelaide Hills Community
SA Power Networks developed a Vulnerable Customer Strategy in the latter part of 2019, in consultation with our reference group.
In 2014 an independent group was established to provide horticultural and arboricultural advice on a range of strategic initiatives aimed at improving amenity outcomes and vegetation management near powerlines.
Since its establishment, the group has worked collaboratively to progress a number of key initiatives to improve vegetation clearance outcomes including:
- A Protocol for vegetation management near powerlines.
- Communication with Councils and education on our legislative requirements.
- A powerline friendly list of species.
- Changes to the regulations governing vegetation clearance across the State, including pruning around low voltage powerlines and the 10 year review.
Kelvin Trimper, AM, a founding member of the Arborist Reference Group stated:
“We have made significant progress but we are continuing to seek improved outcomes for the community and environment for trees under powerlines. One of our latest initiatives is to trial new tree species under powerlines which deliver good visual and environmental amenity whilst reducing the need for regular pruning”
The group consists of representatives from the following members:
Horticulture Media Association
Nursery industry representative
SA Tree Advisory Board
Nursery and Garden Industry of SA
Local Government representatives
Native Vegetation Council
Community representative
Our vegetation clearance contractor
A Connections Working Group was established in August 2019 to improve customer experience in the connections process.
The group is working with SA Power Networks on a number of initiatives to improve the connections process, with a focus on education, information provision and ongoing communication.
The Group comprises representatives from:
Renewable and solar industry representatives and consultants
Energy consultants
Electrical contractors/ NECA / Master Electricians Association
State Government
SA Power Networks
The group is chaired by Dr Andrew Nance of The Energy Project.
This group was established in October 2019 to work with customers on residential and business network tariffs.
This group was established to focus on DER Integration and future energy transition.
A Working Group was established with the Local Government Association (LGA) and representative Councils in November 2013 to develop a long-term strategy for vegetation management and work more collaboratively with local councils.
The group consists of representatives from the LGA and the following Councils:
City of Burnside
City of Campbelltown
City of Tea Tree Gully
Port Augusta City Council
Adelaide Hills Council
City of Onkaparinga
City of Marion
Alexandrina Council
In December 2018, a Public Lighting Working Group (PLWG) was established to:
- Provide a representative group for Councils to work with the LGA and SA Power Networks on public lighting matters.
- Provide a forum for listening and discussion with Councils on public lighting.
- Seek input from Councils and stakeholders on the transition from negotiated distribution services to alternative control services.
- Build mutual understanding and trust between the LGA, SA Power Networks and public lighting customers.
- Identify new service and product lines which will add value to public lighting customers.
- Discuss current issues associated with public lighting.
Customer engagement requirements
The Stand-Alone Power Systems (SAPS) Customer Engagement Requirements document describes the process SA Power Networks will undertake in relation to customer and stakeholder engagement before initiating any distributor-led SAPS installation.