Water regulation and monitoring

What we do in water monitoring

The ACCC monitors:

regulated water charges, including termination fees
compliance with the water charge rules and water market rules
irrigation rights transformation arrangements.

The purpose of our monitoring is to inform the Minister and other interested parties about our findings and any trends we identify in termination, transformation and trade in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Water monitoring reports

We provide the Minister with a water monitoring report each year. This is in line with the agreement between the Minister and the ACCC.

Current monitoring report

Cover of ACCC Murray-Darling Basin Rural Water Monitoring report 2022-23. Cover photo source: Murray–Darling Basin Authority.

ACCC water monitoring report 2022-23

The ACCC has released its fourteenth annual water monitoring report under the Water Act 2007 (Cth). The report provides information on the state of the rural water sector in the Murray-Darling Basin for the 2022–23 financial year.

Previous monitoring reports

For a complete list of reports we have published, see ACCC water monitoring reports.

Enforcing water market and water charge rules

We enforce the Water Market Rules 2009 and the Water Charge Rules 2010 under the Water Act 2007.

We can use a range of tools to encourage compliance and address breaches of the water market rules and water charge rules. Measures include taking a business to court and accepting an enforceable undertaking.

Public register of undertakings

Infringement notices we have imposed and section 163 undertakings we have accepted under the Water Act 2007 are listed on the section 163 undertakings register.

Guide for infrastructure operators

Compliance and enforcement guide for infrastructure operators on the water rules

This guide helps operators of water infrastructure in the Murray-Darling Basin understand our role and approach to enforcing the rules.

Water advice and advocacy

When required, the ACCC advises the Minister on making or amending the water market rules and water charge rules.

We also advise the Murray-Darling Basin Authority on the water trading rules in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. We set regulated charges for on-river infrastructure operators, when this function hasn’t been returned to a Murray-Darling Basin State regulator.

The ACCC sometimes provides submissions to external water consultations as part of our advocacy role.

Under the water charge rules, we can also make decisions on regulatory arrangements.

ACCC water policy advice and advocacy

See a complete list of water projects.

Murray-Darling Basin water markets inquiry 2019-21

The ACCC has been directed to conduct an inquiry into markets for tradeable water rights in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Water trading rules: advice to the Murray Darling Basin Authority about section 12.02

On 3 March 2020, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) requested the ACCC provide its advice on the operation of sub-sections 12.02(2) to (4) of the Basin Plan water trading rules (the 12.02 provisions), to inform its review of these provisions as required under the Basin Plan 2012 (Cth). The ACCC provided this advice to the MDBA on 1 June 2020.

Review of the water charge rules: advice development

In response to a recommendation from the Independent Review of the Water Act 2007 in 2014, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment wrote to the ACCC requesting advice on possible amendments to the Water Charge (Infrastructure) Rules 2010, Water Charge (Planning and Management Information) Rules 2010, and Water Charge (Termination Fees) Rules 2009.

Ask us a question on water

Contact us if you have a question on the ACCC regulation of water or need further guidance on the water rules or water trading.

Email us a question