Feedback sought on Sydney Water and WaterNSW prices in the Greater Sydney area
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is seeking customer and community views about Sydney Water's and WaterNSW's proposals to increase expenditure over the next four years.
IPART Chair Dr Paul Paterson said the focus will be ensuring that any expenditure provides worthwhile benefits for customers.
"Both Sydney Water and WaterNSW are proposing significant increases in capital expenditure, up by 68% for Sydney Water and about 150% for WaterNSW, driven by a combination of population growth and the need to improve system reliability and environmental performance," Dr Paterson said.
"WaterNSW is also proposing that new projects such as those required for drought response be passed directly through to customers. Sydney Water is basing its proposed expenditure on 'average' weather conditions, which assumes that current drought conditions will not continue through 2020 and future years. We will need to consider how these different proposals sit together to form a consistent view about what customers should pay.
"We are interested in hearing what the people of Greater Sydney think about those proposals, which could have long-term impacts on water bills.
"The proposed increases in capital expenditure may have long-term impacts on bills, which could worsen if interest rates rise," Dr Paterson said.
"While providing value-for-money to customers is critical to our review, we also need to strike a balance so that Sydney Water and WaterNSW promote better environmental outcomes, encourage the efficient conservation of water and effectively plan for the future," Dr Paterson said.
Dr Paterson encouraged customers to provide feedback on the Sydney Water and WaterNSW reviews by making a submission or writing a
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