Description of Conduct
On 15 April 2025, the Victorian Water Industry Association (VicWater) lodged an application for authorisation on behalf of itself and 15 water corporations (the Participating Members) to enable itself and the Participating Members to collectively enter into the VicWater Carbon Emissions Offset Project in order to collectively acquire and/or generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) which will be retired to assist with achieving each Participating Member's greenhouse gas emissions reductions obligations.
The 15 water corporations who comprise the Participating Members are:
- Barwon Region Water Corporation
- Central Gippsland Region Water Corporation
- Central Highlands Region Water Corporation
- Coliban Region Water Corporation
- East Gippsland Region Water Corporation
- Goulburn Valley Region Water Corporation
- Grampian Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation
- Greater Western Water Corporation
- Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Corporation
- Melbourne Water Corporation
- North East Region Water Corporation
- South East Water Corporation
- South Gippsland Region Water Corporation
- Wannon Region Water Corporation
- Westernport Region Water Corporation.
Authorisation was sought for 10 years until 1 July 2035.
VicWater also requested interim authorisation to enable it and the Participating Members to:
- Issue detailed requests for proposals (RFPs) in relation to proposed collective projects and acquisitions of ACCUs which could constitute their offsets portfolio, including agreeing on the projects to which the RFPs will be issued, reviewing the proposals received, and engaging with the respondents throughout the RFP process
- Share information and engage in discussions that are for the purposes of, and reasonably necessary for undertaking, the activities described in paragraph above.
On 2 July 2025, the ACCC issued a draft determination proposing to grant authorisation for 10 years and granting interim authorisation for the RFP process and information sharing referred to above.
On 13 August 2025, the ACCC issued a final determination granting authorisation until 1 July 2035.
Copies of the ACCC’s final determination, draft determination and interim authorisation are available below.
Applicant(s)
- VICTORIAN WATER INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION INC.
Applications
| Document title | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Application |
Decisions
| Document title | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Final Determination | ||
| Draft Determination and Interim Authorisation Decision |
Consultations
ACCC correspondence
| Document title | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| ACCC to Interested Parties re Final Determination |