FARMER representatives Tony York and Gary McGill have been reappointed to a consumer consultative committee advising the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA).
A Tammin grain and sheep farmer, Mr York is WAFarmers president and represents that organisation on the ERA consumer consultative committee.
Mr McGill, who farms in Calingiri, is WA Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) Western Graingrowers committee interim chairman and represents the PGA on the ERA committee.
They and other committee members were reappointed for a 2016-18 term.
The other members are Luke Hoare (WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Benjamin Hammer (WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy), Charles Brown (WA Financial Counsellors' Association), David Moore-Crouch (Property Council of Australia), Irina Cattalini (WA Council of Social Service), Dana Mason (WA Local Government Association) and Christine Coyne, as an individual Aboriginal representative.
Gary Newcombe from the Department of Commerce and WA Energy and Water Ombudsman Marcus Claridge are official consultative committee observers.
According to the ERA, the committee provides comment on issues affecting WA consumers and, in turn, acts as an information distribution channel for the ERA.
An independent statutory body, the ERA regulates access, pricing and competition for more than 90 gas, electricity and water utility service providers in WA.
These include Alinta, ATCO, Dampier-Bunbury Pipeline and Goldfields Gas Transmission, Synergy, Horizon Power and Western Power, and Water Corporation, Ord Irrigation Co-operative, Aqwest and Harvey Water. It also administers the WA freight Rail network including overseeing Brookfield Rail, Public Transport Authority and The Pilbara Infrastructure.