Gas Industry Award

Coverage is broad inside the gas industry, but the exclusions are just as important. They remove several roles that might look similar at first glance.

• Check whether the work is really in gas transmission, distribution, wholesaling or retailing to consumers.
• Do not assume every gas related role is in scope. The award excludes incidental electrical power activity, industrial or medical gases, LP gas, upstream hydrocarbons, road transport coverage and professional or managerial roles.
• Where a business has mixed functions, match the employee to the work actually performed.

The award expects a structured engagement model. Written engagement terms and the 4 hour part-time minimum are core compliance points.

• Employees can be full-time, part-time or casual, and the terms of engagement must be given in writing.
• Part-time employees must have predictable hours, receive pro rata conditions and be engaged for at least 4 consecutive hours on a shift.
• Do not use ad hoc short part-time call-ins.

Casual arrangements can be shorter than part-time ones in this award, but there is still a minimum call-in and a separate overtime framework.

• Casuals receive the casual loading for each ordinary hour worked.
• A casual employee must be engaged and paid for at least 2 consecutive hours each time they attend work.
• The pathway from casual to full-time or part-time sits in the NES and still needs to be considered.

This award contains detailed role descriptions. They are useful because gas businesses often have mixed technical and support roles that look similar but sit at different levels.

• The classification structure should drive pay, not the label used on a roster.
• The extracted schedule places basic administration, general hand and plant maintenance grade 1 roles at Level 1, and roles such as meter reader, storekeeper and mains layer assistant at Level 2.
• Level 3 moves into more complex work with broader skills and responsibility, and travelling roles require a current and relevant drivers licence.

Gas operations often blend day work and shiftwork. The award allows flexibility, but only through specific majority agreement mechanisms and safety conditions.

• Day work ordinarily sits between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm Monday to Friday, unless the employer and majority of employees agree to alter the spread or days.
• Continuous shiftworkers and non-continuous shiftworkers have separate ordinary hours rules.
• Up to 12 ordinary hours a day can be worked for both shiftwork systems by majority agreement, but only with the required health monitoring, supervision and roster arrangements.

The operational detail matters here. Breaks, emergency availability and protective clothing are routine gas industry issues, not rare exceptions.

• A non-continuous shiftworker cannot be required to work more than 5 hours without a meal break.
• The extracted allowances cover first aid, availability duty, overtime meals and protective clothing reimbursement.
• Availability duty should be treated as its own payroll item rather than folded into an all-in salary assumption.

PR799280, PR799341, PR799497

The current consolidated award incorporates these recent variation determinations. Use the consolidated wording when checking any affected clause, schedule, rate or allowance.

Affected: 15 - Minimum rates, 17 - Allowances, Schedule B - Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay, Schedule C - Summary of Monetary Allowances, Schedule E - Supported Wage System