Undertaking application20 Mar 2026

On 20 March 2026 ARTC submitted its application to vary and extend its 2011 Hunter Valley Access Undertaking (2011 HVAU). ARTC's proposed Hunter Valley Access Undertaking version 9 will replace the 2011 HVAU version 8, which expires on 31 December 2026.

This variation (version 9) seeks to change many provisions in the undertaking. ARTC has provided a marked-up version and an explanatory note outlining the changes, including key changes to:

  • the Rate of Return
  • the useful asset life with a proposed ‘guard rail’ mechanism
  • removal of the segment-by-segment approach to costs and revenue (including ceilings).

ARTC's application and supporting materials are available below.

Undertaking application

Replacement application documents

On 13 April 2026 ARTC provided corrections to the Explanatory Note and Depreciation Advice. They also provided versions of the documents with track changes.

Corrections made to the Explanatory Note:

  • Changed the report date from March to April 2026, including the header on all pages.
  • Updated the supply chain costs in Table 4 on page 51.
  • Updated the year reference to 2025 from 2024 on pages 71 and 127.
  • Changed the number of access agreements from 27 to 25 (in 2034) on pages 72, 110 and 128.
  • Changed the number of access agreements from 11 to 13 on pages 72, 110 and 128.
  • Changed the number of entities from 13 to 11, and from 12 to 10 on page 110.
  • In the confidential version, changed an entity’s contracted volume on page 110, table 14.

Corrections made to the Depreciation Advice:

  • Changed the report date from March to April 2026.
  • Updated the supply chain costs in Table 1 and notes on page 31.
  • Updated the year reference to 2025 from 2024 on page 52.