Submissions Policy

To effectively consider all of the matters required in a review, the Tribunal depends on detailed submissions from its stakeholders. These submissions assist it to fully understand the effect of its findings and recommendations on stakeholders including the businesses it regulates, government and customers.

The Tribunal invites submissions from all interested parties.

How to make a submission to the Tribunal

There is no standard format for submissions but where possible, submissions should:

• clearly indicate which review they relate to

• have regard to the specific issues that have been raised

• refer to any relevant issues papers and reports.

The Tribunal would prefer to receive submissions electronically but will also accept hard copy submissions.

Electronic submissions in the form of Microsoft Word or Acrobat PDF documents are preferable and should be emailed to the address specified in the relevant issues paper or draft report.  If no email address is specified for the review they should be emailed to ipart@ipart.nsw.gov.au

Hard copy submissions can either be faxed to (02) 9290 2061 or mailed to:

      Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal

      PO Box Q290

      QVB Post Office NSW 1230

Deadlines for providing submissions

Review timetables are developed to ensure that the Tribunal has sufficient time to consider the issues involved in making its findings and recommendations. Therefore it is important to ensure that your submission is received by the date specified.

If you are unable to provide a submission by the due date, you should contact the Tribunal’s secretariat to discuss your options. The Tribunal may, at its discretion, decide not to consider submissions that are received after the specified due date.

Public access to submissions

Unless the submitter seeks confidentiality, all submissions to the Tribunal are generally available for public inspection at the Tribunal's offices. They are also available on the Tribunal’s website in PDF format.

Submissions will usually be available on the website throughout the review and for at least 3-4 weeks following the release of the final report.

The Tribunal may exercise its discretion not to make available any submissions, based on their length or content. The Tribunal will not make available submissions that it considers contain material that is defamatory, offensive, or in breach of any law.

Submissions containing confidential or commercially sensitive information

If you want your submission, or any part of it, to be treated as confidential, please indicate this clearly, in writing, at the time of making the submission. The Tribunal’s publications may include a list of submissions received during a review and/or refer to submissions in their text. If you do not want your submission to be referred to in the Tribunal’s publications, please make this clear.

A request for access to a confidential submission will be determined in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and section 22A of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal Act.

The Tribunal’s policy regarding privacy

All submissions will be treated in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Act 1998. Any personal information you give us will not be used for another purpose.

The making of a submission without an express request for privacy is deemed to constitute consent to publish a submission and details of the person and/or organisation making the submission.