The problems identified in the Government discussion document on the reform package are certainly not unique to the electricity industry. A similar package of reforms may well be initiated in the gas industry, while the Commerce Commission has been active in obtaining settlements from various regional councils involved in the provision of water and wastewater services, such that maintenance and connection services are to be separated.

Competitors of the dominant telecommunications player continue to push for greater regulatory control, having been largely unsuccessful in the courts. One can only speculate on whether the contemplated reforms will achieve the desired ends.

David Moorman
Simpson Grierson
Auckland