ACCC sets Water infrastructure pricing principles for the Murray-Darling Basin

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released pricing principles for price approvals and determinations made under the Water Charge (Infrastructure) Rules (WCIR).

The WCIR provide for price approvals and determinations of certain rural water infrastructure operators in the Murray-Darling Basin by either the ACCC, or a state agency accredited by the ACCC. These price approvals and determinations will apply to charges for many non-urban water services provided by State Water, Goulburn-Murray Water and Lower Murray Water. Other operators may be conditionally covered by the WCIR.

The principles outline the ACCC’s approach to making price approvals and determinations under the WCIR. The ACCC is proposing that, as a term and condition of accreditation, state agencies will also be required to apply the principles.

In developing these principles the ACCC issued draft pricing principles for public consultation. Five submissions were received in response. The ACCC has considered the matters raised during consultation in preparing the version of the pricing principles released today.

The WCIR were introduced by the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities in December 2010.