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Essential Connections Weekly Update

Weekly Update on Essential Connections

Please find attached the Essential Connections overview presented during the weekly update session. If you missed out or would like to revisit any of the information, click on the Essential Connections Information Session to view the recording and the ASP information session presentation.

The next session will be as follows:

Wednesday 14 September

830am – 930am

Construction End to End Process

Notice To Commence including project start up meeting

Asset Labels (Hard)
Construction
Connection – outage and commissioning (PSA requirement)

ASP1

(ASP3 welcome to attend if interested)

Here is a reminder of the Zoom link: Join Zoom Meeting.

Readiness Survey

Our readiness survey helps us to understand how confident you are feeling in using the new system and ways of working. If you have not had a chance to complete, please access readiness survey it takes 2 minutes to complete.

This will help us to make your experience as smooth as possible and tailor our approach to your needs so that you feel supported throughout the process.

Training

To support you in using Essential Connections, we’ve organised training sessions that you can attend. The first sessions are targeted at L3 ASPs. We’ll schedule additional sessions for L3 and L1 ASPs and will communicate these shortly.

These sessions run for one hour and will cover the following:

Accessing and logging on to the portal
Overview of the external portal
Overview of system functionality, tips and tricks to navigate the system including case creation and management

Date	Time	Link	Audience
Monday 19 September	830am – 1030am	Register here	L3
Friday 23 September	830am – 1030am	Register here	L3
Wednesday 28 September	6pm – 8pm	Register here	L3

Transition to Essential Connections

Before we go live with undertaking Design and Construction processes in Essential Connections, we will undertake a series of activities during a period called ‘cutover’. This is where we prepare to transition from the Design Portal (used by Level 3 ASPs) to the new Essential Connections Portal.

During this period there are some key dates when we need to complete or stop doing activities in the Design Portal. At present we are aiming to commence our transition into the new Essential Connections Portal from 5pm, Wednesday 21 September until 9am on Tuesday, 27 September. During this time, you will be unable to submit any documentation or work within the Design Portal.

These are the key dates and activities from 14 September that you need to be aware of:

14 September

Interim 14-27 September

To be confirmed

27 September - Go Live

To be confirmed

The Design Portal will be closed to any new requests for the below:

design enquiries, general enquiries and closed project enquiries
easement only requests
Notice of Arrangement (NoA) only requests

L3 ASPs can submit NoA only requests via the contestable works mailbox: contestableworks

Interim processes:

Design enquiries can be submitted via the new Essential Connections portal (as of 6 June)

L3 ASPs can submit NoA only requests via the contestable works mailbox: contestableworks

Submit the following via Essential Connections:

design enquiries, general enquiries and closed project enquiries
easement cases

L3 ASPs can submit NoA only requests via the contestable works mailbox: contestableworks

All access to the NECF portal will be made read only

Registered users will still be able to log in to the NECF Portal with read only access to view applications previously submitted

All new application through Essential Connections

Note: Previously submitted design enquiries are visible in the new Essential Connections Portal

This table outlines cutover arrangements for other activities from 20 September:

Cutover 21 September	Interim 21-27 September	Go-Live 27 September

NoA and NoA Only currently submitted via the Contestable works email No change	Continue submitting via Contestable works email	Continue submitting via contestable works email
Design Portal: DIA, Design Submission, Asset Labels, Non-Standard Approvals Recertifications	Freeze - No submissions between cut-over and Go-Live	Transact in Essential Connections
Contestable Works: DIA, Design Submission, Asset Labels, Non-Standard Approvals Cease submitting via the contestable works email	No new DIA jobs accepted from cut-over into contestable works email Note: inflight projects that have been submitted via contestable works inbox will continue to be accepted and processed	Note: inflight projects that have been submitted via contestable works inbox will continue to be accepted and processed
Recertifications No change - currently submitted via contestable works email	Continue to submit via contestable works email	Continue to submit via contestableworks@ essentialenergy.com.au
Easements	Continue to submit via conveyancingteam @essentialenergy.com.au	Submit via Essential Connections Email Inbox closes
Pioneer Scheme	Continue to be processed	Submit via Essential Connections

What do you need to do?

Review the above information
Complete the readiness survey
Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.