Improving economic regulation of water and sewerage services

The Northern Territory Government commits to improving economic regulation of water supply and sewerage services in the Northern Territory to meet the long-term interests of customers and the community.

The Territory Government has developed reform directions in consultation with stakeholders to improve economic regulation of water supply and sewerage services.

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. Economic regulation places rules on service providers to ensure they provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable services.

Snapshot of reform directions

The Territory Government will enhance the economic regulatory framework for water supply and sewerage services by:

• expanding the coverage of the economic regulatory framework to service providers across the Territory
• applying a consistent, transparent and tiered methodology to determine the form and level of regulation appropriate for service providers and their service areas across the Territory.

For more information about the reform directions, the roadmap for reform and future consultation opportunities, read the summary and detailed papers.

Summary paper PDF (1.5 MB)
Summary paper DOCX (1.1 MB)

Detailed paper PDF (1.5 MB)
Detailed paper DOCX (801.8 KB).

Future consultation opportunities

The Territory Government is committed to effective consultation to inform the reform directions implementation. The Department of Treasury and Finance will lead consultation and the reform implementation.

Stakeholders are encouraged to register to be part of the Water Supply Economic Regulatory Reform Stakeholder Reference Group.

Consultation on implementation of the reforms will occur through the stakeholder reference group. To register for the stakeholder reference group email dtf.water@nt.gov.au.

How will the reform directions improve outcomes for customers?

The reform directions will ensure customers across the Territory receive the benefits of economic regulation. Customers in similar-sized towns and communities will have comparable levels of customer protections, and rights and transparency of service provision.

Customers across the Territory will benefit from improved economic regulation