The ACCC has released a draft determination proposing to grant authorisation to the Victorian Water Industry Association (VicWater) and 15 Victorian water corporations (the Participating Members) to enable them to collectively acquire and/or generate Australian carbon credit units which will be retired to assist each Participating Member to achieve its greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations.
The ACCC proposes to grant authorisation for a period of 10 years until 1 July 2035.
The ACCC has also granted interim authorisation to enable a subset of the proposed conduct to commence while the ACCC completes its assessment of the substantive application. The interim authorisation allows VicWater and the Participating Members to:
- issue detailed requests for proposals in relation to proposed collective projects and acquisitions of Australian carbon credit units
- review proposals and engage with respondents throughout the request for proposal process
- share information and engage in discussions for the purposes of the request for proposal process.
The ACCC is now seeking submissions in response to the draft determination by 18 July 2025 before making its final decision.
Further details about the application, the ACCC’s interim authorisation decision, and how to make a submission are available on the ACCC public register.