Regulator expands Southern Cross Energy Goldfields distribution licence area

The Economic Regulation Authority has amended the electricity distribution licence held by TEC Desert Pty Ltd and TEC Desert No. 2 Pty Ltd, trading as Southern Cross Energy Partnership, to expand its licence area in the Goldfields region. The amendment, dated 19 October 2026, is published in the Western Australian Government Gazette No. 134 of 23 October 2026 under reference EE401, in the Energy and Economic Diversification section at page 2383.

The notice is made under the Electricity Industry Act 2004 and states that the licence has been amended, setting out the licensee’s identity, business address, classification and term. The licensee trades as Southern Cross Energy Partnership under ABN 79 271 003 656, with its business address at Level 3, 167 St Georges Terrace, Perth. The licence is a long-standing one: EDL3 commenced on 30 June 2006 and runs to 29 June 2036, and the amended instrument is now Version 12.

The stated purpose of the amendment is to allow the licensee to extend its operations in the Goldfields region and to facilitate the supply of electricity to the Mount Marion Lithium Mine and its associated infrastructure, and to two water bores in the vicinity. The notice does not quantify the additional area, the capacity to be supplied, or the timing of any construction.

What the amendment authorises

• Expansion of the licence area of distribution licence EDL3 to allow the licensee to extend its operations in the Goldfields region.
• Supply of electricity to the Mount Marion Lithium Mine and its associated infrastructure.
• Supply of electricity to two water bores in the vicinity of the mine.

Licence terms and identifiers

• Licensee: TEC Desert Pty Ltd and TEC Desert No. 2 Pty Ltd, trading as Southern Cross Energy Partnership.
• ABN: 79 271 003 656.
• Business address: Level 3, 167 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000.
• Classification: electricity distribution licence EDL3, Version 12.
• Commencement date: 30 June 2006.
• Amendment date: 19 October 2026.
• Term of licence: up to and including 29 June 2036.
• Licence area: the area set out in plan ERA-EL-109F in the State of Western Australia.

Inspection of the amended licence

The amended licence may be inspected at the Economic Regulation Authority, 4th Floor, Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street, Perth WA 6000, and through the authority’s website at erawa.com.au. The notice is signed by Steve Edwell, Chair of the Economic Regulation Authority.

The amendment matters because it extends the reach of a privately held distribution network across the Goldfields at a point where mining operators are seeking dedicated supply. By naming the Mount Marion Lithium Mine and two water bores as the intended customers, the notice ties the regulatory change directly to an operating mine and its supporting infrastructure rather than to a general area expansion. It also fixes the licence’s boundaries to plan ERA-EL-109F and leaves the term unchanged to 29 June 2036, giving the licensee a decade of certainty in the region.

Source: Western Australian Government Gazette, No. 134, 23 October 2026, Energy and Economic Diversification, p. 2383 (official reference: EE401).