Opportunity to Comment: National Water Initiative (NWI) pricing principles and the consultation regulation impact statement for the NWI pricing principles

The Australian Government, in collaboration with state and territory governments, is seeking comments on the National Water Initiative (NWI) pricing principles and the consultation regulation impact statement for the NWI pricing principles.

The NWI pricing principles have been developed jointly by the Australian Government and state and territory governments to provide a set of guidelines or road map for rural and urban pricing practices and to assist jurisdictions to implement the NWI water pricing commitments in a consistent way. The Department of Water represented the views of the Western Australian government on the committee that developed these pricing principles. 

The NWI pricing principles are comprised of four sets of principles, including:
  • Principles for the recovery of capital expenditure to provide guidance to water service providers on asset valuation and cost recovery for urban and rural capital expenditure.
  • Principles for urban water tariffs to provide guidance for price setting in situations where there are monopoly providers and the absence of competitive pressures. 
  • Principles for water planning and management to provide guidance, for urban and rural water service providers, in identifying and allocating the costs of water planning and management activities between government and water users. 
  • Principles for recycled water and stormwater reuse to provide broad policy guidance to stimulate efficient water use, in urban and rural settings, no matter what the water source.  
It is proposed that Australian governments agree to adopt the NWI pricing principles. 

Click here to view the National Water Initiative pricing principles - Consultation Regulation Impact Statement

Click here to view the Draft National Water Initiative Pricing Principles

The public consultation period is open for six weeks and will close at 11pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on 18 December 2009. 

All comments received during the consultation period will be taken into account during the finalisation of the regulation impact statement. 

Submissions should be forwarded to:
Cameron LeMaitre
Urban Water Security Branch
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787 CANBERRA ACT 2601
waterinformation@environment.gov.au

For further details on the proposal and consultation please contact:
1800 218 478 or waterinformation@environment.gov.au

The Department of Water contact for this matter is:
Warren Tierney, (08) 6364 7146 or warren.tierney@water.wa.gov.au