The Australian Energy Regulator is welcoming new board members Justin Oliver, Catriona Lowe and Eric Groom following Commonwealth legislation to increase the size of the AER board from three to five.
All appointments are for five years. Mr Oliver, based in Brisbane, commenced his role Monday 3 February and Ms Lowe, based in Melbourne, commences on 6 February. Mr Groom, based in Sydney, will start on 24 February.
Mr Oliver was most recently a partner with MinterEllison, specialising in competition law and energy regulation. Previously, he was the head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) regulatory law practice and has worked as a senior lawyer in the Victorian Premier’s Department.
Ms Lowe is an experienced litigation lawyer and consumer advocate. She was involved with the introduction of the Victorian Default Offer, chaired the ACCC’s Consumer Consultative Committee and was co-CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre.
Mr Groom has extensive experience as an economist with a focus on regulation, energy efficiency and carbon emissions reduction. He was a long-term staff member of New South Wales’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), worked on the AER’s 2013 Better Regulation Review and has been a member of the Consumer Challenge Panel.
The AER’s expanded board highlights the growth of the organisation and its increased role in ensuring Australian energy consumers are better off now and in the future.
