Water charge (infrastructure) rules: accreditation arrangements

The ACCC provided its final advice on the water infrastructure charge rules (WICR) on 26 June 2009. The minister has since requested the ACCC to provide further advice on the issue of accreditation of state agencies by the ACCC under the WICR.

In its final advice on the WICR, the ACCC recommended a single regulator approach rather than allowing for the accreditation of state agencies to undertake price approvals or determinations.

Following an extensive consultation process, the ACCC assessed that the Water Act 2007 objectives and principles could be best achieved through a single regulator approach.

Importantly, this would ensure a consistent approach when setting charges across the Murray–Darling Basin, which in turn would facilitate efficient water markets and the efficient use of water resources and water-related infrastructure.

On balance, the ACCC still considers that a single regulator approach would offer the highest net benefit compared with an approach with multiple regulators responsible for undertaking approvals or determinations.