Commissioner Sitesh Bhojani to leave at the end of his term with the Essential Services Commission

On 18 August 2024, my five-year term at the Essential Services Commission comes to an end. I regard it as a great privilege and honour to have served the Victorian community and consumers as the commission’s first Enforcement Commissioner over the last five years.

Having led significant achievements in building the commission’s compliance and enforcement functions, it is an optimum time for me to move on and consider other opportunities.

During my time at the commission, it has enhanced its culture of action while encouraging its regulated businesses to develop their culture of compliance. As an active regulator, the commission has increased engagement, guidance and education to assist regulated businesses voluntarily comply with their legal obligations.

The commission has built a formidable investigative capability and is using its different enforcement options to deliver strong enforcement outcomes.  Since 2019, regulated energy businesses have paid over $17 million in penalties to the commission.

Enforceable Undertakings have been accepted by the commission to deliver remediation for consumers, increase consumers’ awareness of their rights and to strengthen regulated businesses’ compliance management systems.

Effective from March 2022, the Victorian Parliament gave the commission powers to take regulatory litigation enforcement action and the commission has instituted four cases in the Supreme Court of Victoria. These are likely to result in Court orders imposing multimillion-dollar penalties and a strong deterrence message from the Court. So, developing the commission’s litigation capability is also on track.

The commission has also strengthened its collaborative relationships with trusted intermediaries in the community sector like financial counsellors and consumer organisations to gain valuable insights and intelligence on issues of concern to consumers and the community regarding essential services. As one of four commissioners, I was pleased to play a role in leading the other work of the commission beyond the compliance and enforcement work.

I am grateful and thank the Victorian Government for providing me with the opportunity to serve Victorians by appointing me as a commissioner.

I thank my fellow commissioners over my term, former Chairperson Kate Symons, former commissioner Simon Corden, commissioner Rebecca Billings and commissioner Jess Young. I also thank our CEO Sarah Sheppard and former CEO John Hamill.

Delivering on the commission’s statutory objectives for Victorian consumers requires significant teamwork.  So, there are other leaders at the commission I want to acknowledge and thank.  Sarah McDowell (now a commissioner at Energy Safe Victoria), Nathan Zhivov, Cherie Canning, Marcus Crudden, Dan Keely, Dean Wickenton, Sharon Deano, Matthew Sargeant, Linda Grant, Caroline Gill, Cristina Sgarbossa and all the hard working, committed members of staff of the commission with whom I have worked.

The commission’s values of integrity, respect, impartiality, collaboration and excellence are exemplified in the character and work of so many I have had the privilege to work with at the commission. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to have worked with you for the benefit of Victorian consumers.