About us

Fair and dependable essential services, today and tomorrow.

We promote the long-term interests of Victorian consumers with respect to the price, quality and reliability of essential services.

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Impartiality
• Excellence
• Respect.

Gerard Brody – Commissioner and Chairperson

Gerard was appointed commissioner and chairperson in August 2024.

A leading consumer rights lawyer, Gerard has deep consumer policy, regulatory and legal experience, and a longstanding passion for improving the consumer experience.

Gerard is a former CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre, an independent, not-for-profit consumer organisation.

Prior to taking up this role, Gerard served as Chair of both Community Legal Centres Australia and the Consumers’ Federation of Australia and has also served as a director for the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Gerard holds degrees in Arts, Law and Public Policy from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course.

Rebecca Billings – Commissioner

Rebecca was appointed as a part-time commissioner in February 2020.

Rebecca is an economist with over 25 years' experience providing economic, regulatory and policy advice to government across a diverse range of regulatory frameworks.

Rebecca is also a Commissioner of the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA), a board member of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), and Chair of the National Regulators Community of Practice (NRCoP).

Rebecca is a consultant and has previously worked for PwC, NERA Economic Consulting, and Deloitte Access Economics.

She was previously a senior economist at the Department of Treasury and Finance, where she supported the implementation of the Reducing Regulatory Burden reforms.

Jess Young – Commissioner

Jess Young was appointed as a commissioner in June 2024. An expert in regulatory economics, Jess was formerly the Director of Networks and DER Integration, at the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Prior to joining the Victorian Government, Jess was a Director at Deloitte Access Economics where she spent over 10 years advising regulators, state, commonwealth and overseas governments, and private sector clients, on regulation and energy market analysis and policy.

Elly Patira – Commissioner

Elly was appointed as a commissioner in November 2024.

A commercial lawyer and expert in participatory approaches to public policy-making, Elly has deep public administration, regulation and legal experience and a longstanding passion for improving outcomes for marginalised consumer groups.

Elly is a former CEO of Aboriginal Investment NT and served as interim chief executive of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, establishing Australia's first formal truth-telling body. Elly was also a founding director of Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights.

She has held senior executive roles within the Victorian Public Service, most recently as the Deputy Secretary, First Peoples – State Relations Group at the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Elly holds degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Melbourne and a Masters in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford.

Sarah Sheppard – Chief Executive Officer

Sarah was appointed Chief Executive Officer in August 2023. Sarah joined the commission as Executive Director of Energy in April 2021.

Sarah has degrees in law and arts from the University of Adelaide and has extensive experience in economic regulation and the energy sector, including six years with the Victorian Government, a decade at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and experience as a competition lawyer in the private sector.

Our 2025–29 Strategic Plan seeks to create long-term impact across the following domains:

Efficient Pricing

Prices are fair, economically efficient, and represent the best value for consumers.

Equitable Services

Essential services are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to all consumers, regardless of circumstances.

Resilience and Sustainability

Essential services remain just, reliable and cost-effective as they respond to longterm changes, including the transition to carbon neutrality.

Integrity and Trust

Markets operate with integrity and trust, and regulation promotes transparency, accountability, certainty and consumer confidence.

Every year we publish our regulatory priorities. They explain what we will focus on in the year ahead. This includes our energy compliance and enforcement priorities.

We consult before we make major decisions. We run workshops and public forums, and we invite formal submissions. Our approach follows our Stakeholder engagement framework and charter of consultation and our submissions policy.

We consider many factors when we decide, including how a decision affects consumers experiencing vulnerability.

Have your say on our current work: current consultations.

The Essential Services Commission Act 2001(opens in a new window) and the documents below make up the framework we use to promote the long-term interests of Victorian consumers.

• Stakeholder engagement framework and charter of consultation
  Our Stakeholder Engagement Framework and Charter of Consultation describes what you can expect of us as we engage to make decisions in our role as Victoria's regulator of essential services.
• Memorandums of understanding
  We enter into memorandums of understanding with various Victorian Government agencies. We also enter into memorandums with agencies who share an important working relationship with us.
• Getting to Fair: Advancing Equity strategy
  The goal of our strategy is to promote just outcomes and equitable access to essential services for all Victorians, today and tomorrow.