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 Water and SeweragePrice Direction for the Supply of Water and Sewerage Services - Release of Issues PaperUpdated 2 April 2012 Background to the Price Direction On 13 October 2011, the Treasurer Andrew Barr MLA referred a price direction for the supply of regulated water and sewerage services within the ACT for the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2018. The reference is issued under the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission Act 1997. Among other things, the review is required to:
The Commission must report to the Treasurer by 1 May 2013. The terms of reference for the inquiry and accompanying explanatory statement are available at http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/di/2011-287/default.asp On 22 February 2012, the Commission released an Issues Paper - Regulated Water and Sewerage Services 2013-2018 as the first step in conducting the inquiry to determine water and sewerage prices that will apply in the ACT from 1 July 2013. Written submissions on the Issues Paper closed on 30 March 2012. The Issues Paper and Submissions Cover Sheet are available below:
Submissions (Issues Paper)
Inquiry into Secondary Water UseUpdated 14 May 2012 On 14 May 2012 the Commission released a Draft Report - Secondary Water Use in the ACT. This is the second stage in the Commission’s consultation on the inquiry.
Submissions on the draft report are due by 12 June 2012. The Commission is required to present its final report to the Treasurer by 30 June 2012.
Issues Paper - Secondary Water Use in the ACT, Report 9 of 2011 On 23 November 2011 the Commission released an Issues Paper - Secondary Water Use in the ACT. As a first step in conducting the inquiry, the Commission invites written submissions on the issues paper. Written submissions on the issues paper closed on 20 December 2011. Context Paper - Water in the ACT, Report 8 of 2011 On 23 November 2011 the Commission released a context paper - Water in the ACT.
The context paper provides a framework for understanding and evaluating the ACT water sector's management and operation. This framework forms the basis for the Commission's current inquiries into secondary water use and regulated water and sewerage services. Submissions (Issues Paper)
Cotter Dam Water Security Project InvestigationUpdated 30 June 2010 The Commission has released its final report on its investigation of the Enlarged Cotter Dam water security project . A copy of the Commission's final report and an accompanying media release is available below: Background to the Investigation On 12 November 2009, the Attorney General, Simon Corbell MLA, referred an investigation to the Commission of the projected costs and other matters provided by ACTEW of the enlarged Cotter Dam project to provide enhanced water security for the ACT. The Commission must report to the Attorney General by the end of June 2010. The Terms of Reference for the investigation are available below: As a first step in conducting the investigation, the Commission invited written submissions on the matters subject to the Terms of Reference. The Commission released a draft report for public comment on 30 April 2010 setting out its draft findings. The Commission also released a report prepared for the Commission by Halcrow Pacific to assist it with the conduct of the investigation. Copies of the Commission's draft report and an accompanying media release, and of the Halcrow report are below:
Written submissions on the draft report were invited. The Commission held a public hearing on the draft report on 24 May 2010. The hearing schedule, transcript of the proceedings, and a powerpoint presentation by witness, Drew Collins, are available below: Submissions (Matters subject to the Terms of Reference)
Submissions (Draft Report)
The Commission's Final Report and Price Determination on Water and Wastewater is Now Available5 June 2008 The Commission's Final Report and Price Determination on Water and Wastewater in the ACT for the next five years is now available. The decision was previously announced on 11 April 2008. The Five-Year Price Path for the ACT7 April 2008 On 19 March 2008, Senior Commissioner Paul Baxter gave a paper on the five-year water price path for the ACT to the Energy and Water Regulation 2008 Conference in Melbourne. The paper canvasses some of the practical matters faced by pricing regulators in determining the price of water, and comments on the complex issue of establishing a well functioning market for water. A copy of the paper can be accessed below: Public Hearing on the Water and Wastewater Price Review - Price DeterminationThe Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission held a public hearing on the Water and Wastewater Price Review and Price Determination on Thursday 14 February 2008. The hearing was held at the Novotel Hotel Canberra, 65 Northbourne Avenue Canberra. A transcript of the proceedings is available below: Draft Decision: Water and Wastewater Price ReviewThe Commission received a reference from the ACT Attorney General instructing it to provide a price direction for water and wastewater services for the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2013. In response the Commission has released its Draft Decision and Price Direction and media release on its investigation of prices for water and wastewater services. The Commission received the following submissions in response to Report 11 of 2007.
Consultants Report Capex/Opex ReviewThe Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (the Commission) engaged McLennan Magasanik Associates (MMA) in conjunction with WorleyParsons (the Consultants) to conduct a review of the operating expenditure, capital expenditure, asset management practices, demand forecasts and ring fencing arrangements of ActewAGL and ACTEW's Water and Wastewater Services in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The focus of the study was to provide an overall strategic view of:
Review of Water and Wastewater PricingOn 23 October 2007, the Chief Minister announced a suite of measures intended to create a secure and sustainable water supply for the ACT. The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (the Commission) commissioned Halcrow Pacific Pty Ltd (the Consultants) to undertake a review of proposed capital and operating expenditure associated with the implementation of a number of water security measures to service consumers in the ACT. The primary objectives of the assignment were to assess, in respect to capital and operating expenditure associated with the water security measures announced by the Chief Minister on 23 October 2007:
The water security measures assessed as part of the review included:
Commission Releases Working Conclusions PaperThe Commission has released a Working Conclusions Report which addresses a number of the technical issues relating to the setting of water prices for the next five years from 1 July 2008. This report is released as part of the current review of water and wastewater prices in the ACT being undertaken by the Commission. Submissions on the Working Conclusions paper should be forwarded to the Commission on or before 19 October 2007.
The Commission received the following submissions:
The Commission has received a draft Terms of Reference requiring it to make a price direction for regulated water and wastewater services provided by ACTEW. The reference requires the determination of a price path to apply following the expiry of the current determination on 30 June 2008. The final report is to be released by 11 April 2008. The Commission has issued a media release notifying the community of the receipt of the draft Terms of Reference.
As an initial step in the price determination process, the Commission is releasing a series of discussion papers. Any comments received will form the basis of the regulatory approach to be adopted by the Commission in the upcoming inquiry. The first discussion paper describes the technical regulatory issues the Commission must consider in the context of the upcoming price inquiry. The discussion paper begins by providing an overview of the regulatory method to be adopted by the Commission. The paper then discusses in detail issues related to the length of the regulatory period, the building block method, calculation of the revenue stream, and the manner in which tariffs are calculated.
The second discussion paper focuses on the question of the rate of return that ACTEW should earn on its investment in the water and wastewater business. This is a matter that has generated a deal of public comment in the recent months reflecting public discussion on the possibility of new investment in water recycling and reuse systems.
The Commission has released the final discussion paper on the pricing structure to be applied to water and wastewater services. This discussion paper focuses on the structure of prices for water and wastewater services. While the earlier discussion papers focused on the amount of revenue that ACTEW needs to recover costs, this discussion paper focuses on how to structure water and wastewater tariffs in order to recover this revenue.
Responses Received on Report 8 of 2007:
The Commission will take into account the submissions received on the discussion papers when developing its working conclusions paper to be released September 2007. The Commission will then be seeking submissions on this paper which will inform the draft decision to be released by 14 December 2007. A public hearing and an opportunity for further submissions will follow the release of the draft decision before the Commission releases its final decision by 11 April 2008. The Commission received the following submissions:
Regulator Approves 2007-2008 Water Price IncreasesThe Commission has approved prices for water and wastewater services for 2007-08.
Information Paper - Prices for Water and Wastewater ServicesThe current review of water and wastewater price determined a price path to apply for the four years from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2008. In the lead up to the upcoming price inquiry which will determine water and wastewater tariffs to apply in the ACT from 1 July 2008, the Commission will be releasing a series of papers. These papers, and any comments received, will form a basis of the regulatory approach to be adopted by the Commission in conducting the upcoming inquiry. This information paper provides the overall context within which the upcoming price inquiry will take place. In addition, the paper outlines the role of the Commission, ACTEW, and the ACT Government as well as providing an overview of the 2004-08 price determination, developments since the current price direction was finalised and a discussion of the Commission's recent inquiry into incentive mechanisms and how this relates to the upcoming water and wastewater inquiry.
Water and Wastewater Annual Price Reset 2006-2007The Commission has approved new prices for water and wastewater services in the ACT to apply from 1 July 2006. 2006-07 prices and an explanation of how they are determined can be found in the following Media Release ( The approval of these prices follow an investigation by the Commission into the treatment of a range of costs unforeseen when determining the current price path. The information paper released by the Commission on the treatment of these cots and submissions received are available below under Report 6 of 2006 - Information paper water and wastewater annual price reset 2006-07. In addition to the responses received on the information paper, the Commission sought additional details from Chief Minister's Department and the Department of Treasury on the funding of remediation works in the Lower Cotter Catchment. The responses received are as follows: Report 6 of 2006 - Information Paper Water and Wastewater Annual Price Reset 2006 - 2007ACTEW Corporation has requested that the Commission consider water price increases to allow it to recover the costs of recent augmentation works. These works include a scheme to transfer water from the Cotter Catchment to Googong Dam and remediation works in the Cotter Catchment. In response to the request from ACTEW, the Commission has released an Information Paper ( The information paper outlines the request and discusses a range of possible options available to the Commission in the treatment of the costs associated with the works. In addition, the Commission released a Media Release ( Find attached the proposal ( The Commission received the following submissions on the information paper:
Incentive Mechanism Paper Report 16 of 2005The Commission has released its Final Decision ( The Final Decision follows the release of a Draft Decision, ( Submissions received on the Draft Decision and Discussion paper can be accessed below:
On Wednesday 31 March, the Senior Commissioner, Mr Paul Baxter, released the Final Report and Price Direction on the above inquiry.
Submissions on the Draft Report
Submissions: Issues Paper - Investigation Into Prices for Water and Wastewater Services in the ACT Copies of submissions to this paper can be found on the Archives Page. On Friday, 10 October 2003, the Senior Commissioner, Mr Paul Baxter, released the Final Report.
A copy of the Water Abstraction Charge Issues Paper and the submissions may be found on the Archives Page
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