Before ParliamentEnvironment & Energy Introduced in the House of Representatives, 14 Oct 2026

Gas exporters would pay a yearly licence fee

This short bill would charge a fee on each licence to ship liquid gas overseas. The money would pay the energy watchdog's costs of running the scheme. The amount would be set later in detailed rules.

Official name: Domestic Gas Reservation Levy Bill 2026

Who it affects

• Companies that ship liquid gas overseas: You would pay a fee for each year your export licence is in force, even while it is paused.
• Taxpayers: The cost of running the scheme would be paid by gas exporters, not by the general budget.
• The energy watchdog: Its costs of running the gas scheme would be paid back by the fee.

Someone has to pay the watchdog

Australia ships a lot of gas overseas as a liquid. This is called liquid gas, or liquefied natural gas.

The government wants more of that gas kept for homes and businesses here. It has put three bills to Parliament together.

The main one is the Domestic Gas Reservation Bill 2026. From 1 January 2028, it would make exporters hold a licence. Each year they would have to sell gas at home equal to up to 20 per cent of their exports.

The Australian Energy Regulator would run that scheme. It is the national energy watchdog. Running the scheme costs money.

This bill sets a fee so the gas exporters pay those costs. The government says this follows its policy that users of a service should pay for it. A third bill changes older gas laws to fit the scheme.

A fee on each export licence

The fee would be charged on every export licence that is in force at any time in a year. Here a year means a calendar year.

The company that holds the licence pays it. That is the company allowed to ship the gas overseas.

A licence can be paused for breaking the rules. A paused licence is still in force, so the fee still applies. Say a company's licence is paused for six months. It would still owe the fee for that year.

Amount set later

The bill does not name a dollar figure. The amount would be set in detailed rules the government writes without a new vote. Parliament can still cancel those rules.

The rules could set different amounts for different kinds of licence holders. The government says this lets the fee match the real cost of the work.

The amount may change over time as the scheme grows. The duty to pay stays in this law.

Paying and collecting it

The main gas bill sets out how the fee is paid. The fee for each year would be due on 31 January of the next year.

If it is paid late, a penalty is added. It is one third of 1 per cent of the unpaid amount for each day. The watchdog can cancel this late charge if there is a good reason.

Unpaid fees become a debt the watchdog can chase in court.

If a company still has not paid 90 days after the due date, its licence could be paused or cancelled.

Waiting in the House

This bill would start on 1 January 2028. That is the day exporters would first need a licence.

It applies across Australia and its outer territories.

The bill was put to the House of Representatives on 14 October 2026. The minister gave the speech on its main idea that same day.

Next, the House debates it and votes. Then it goes to the Senate. If both houses pass it, the Governor-General signs it into law.

Its journey through Parliament

Official sources

• Bill page on aph.gov.au
• Text of the bill
• Explanatory memorandum
• Bills Digest

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