Australia gas supply crunch eases but prices still too high: regulator

Melbourne

THE shortfall in Australia's gas supply has eased, the country's consumer watchdog said on Wednesday, but warned that prices remained high due to a lack of competition in supply, limited pipeline space and high transport costs.

The nation's gas sector has come under scrutiny as soaring prices and short supply hurt households and threaten manufacturing jobs, stoking political concern ahead of state and federal elections over the next 18 months.