The Northern Territory Government is seeking feedback on opportunities to improve economic regulation of water supply and sewerage services in the Territory.

Government has developed a number of high level reform options to improve water supply and sewerage services for customers and the community. Feedback from customers and other stakeholders will help inform government’s final reform direction.

This work is part of a broader process to develop a Northern Territory Strategic Water Plan to improve all aspects of water management in the Territory.

Why is economic regulation needed?

The supply of water and sewerage services is essential to Territorians who expect affordable, reliable and safe services. Water supply and sewerage services also enable business activity and economic development, and support amenity and liveability of our communities.

Customers do not have a choice about who provides their water supply and sewerage services. Service providers are monopoly businesses that do not compete with each other to provide the highest quality and least cost services to customers. The purpose of economic regulation is to place rules on service providers to ensure that they provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable services.

What water and sewerage services are currently regulated?

In the Northern Territory, there is one licenced and regulated service provider, the Power and Water Corporation, which supplies water and sewerage services to licenced supply areas of Greater Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Yulara and 12 minor centres. Outside of the licenced supply areas, including in some towns and remote communities, customers do not receive the same protections afforded by economic regulation because service providers at these locations are not licensed or regulated.

A map is available showing licensed supply areas where economic regulation currently applies.

Have your say

• Read the consultation paper and summary paper

The summary consultation paper provides a high level introduction to economic regulation of water supply and sewerage services and snapshot of the proposed reform opportunities.

The consultation paper provides greater detail on how water and sewerage services are currently delivered and regulated, and outlines proposed high-level reform directions that could improve how these services are economically regulated. The consultation paper includes questions to guide stakeholders in making written submissions.

• Fill out the survey

Click on the survey link to provide your views on opportunities to improve provision of water and sewerage services through economic regulatory reform. The survey takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

Reading the summary consultation paper will assist in filling out the survey.

• Make a submission

If you would like to provide a written submission, please email your submission to DTF.Water@nt.gov.au by Friday 18 November 2022. The consultation paper includes further information about how to make a written submission.

Reading the detailed consultation paper and considering the consultation questions posed will assist you in making a written submission.

• Contact us

The consultation process is being undertaken by the Department of Treasury and Finance.

If you would like to discuss the consultation proposals or have any questions, please email DTF.Water@nt.gov.au

The consultation is open for 6 weeks and closes on Friday 18 November 2022.

Privacy

Survey responses will only be used for the purposes of this consultation. Individual survey responses will not be shared externally by government, however, survey responses will be collated into an aggregated and anonymous stakeholder feedback summary that may be published.