ATCO and WA Government Discussed Albany Gas Network Months Before Public Shutdown Announcement

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show ATCO Australia and the Western Australian Department of Energy and Economic Diversification exchanged a confidential briefing on the Albany LPG network on 28 May 2025, followed by a meeting with Energy Minister Amber Jade Sanderson a week later. In January, ATCO announced it would decommission the network over the next three years, citing ageing infrastructure and high maintenance costs, while the state government said it would not assume ownership.

Albany mayor Greg Stocks criticised the lack of early notice, and more than 2,500 residents have signed a parliamentary petition urging the government or a local supplier to take over the service. Business owners like Hayden Jones argue the loss of gas will cripple operations that depend on it, and the government maintains the least-cost option is a shift to bottled gas or full electrification.