IPART has released draft prices for WaterNSW bulk water services in the Greater Sydney region, from 1 October 2025 to 30 June 2028.
Tribunal Chair Carmel Donnelly said WaterNSW is responsible for owning, operating and maintaining dams in NSW, and capturing, storing and supplying bulk water to Sydney Water, a small number of local councils and about 60 business customers in the Greater Sydney region.
“Bulk water customers such as Sydney Water then treat and distribute that water to residential and business customers in Greater Sydney,” Ms Donnelly said.
“Bulk water pricing can therefore affect the price residential and business customers pay for the water they buy from Sydney Water and Wingecarribee, Shoalhaven and Goulburn Mulwaree councils.”
Under IPART’s draft decisions, over the 3 years to 2027-28, WaterNSW’s Greater Sydney bulk water prices would increase by around 10.4% per year before inflation. For a typical Sydney Water residential customer, this would add about $7 to bills in 2025-26, $20 to bills in 2026-27 and $31 to bills in 2027-28 before inflation.
Ms Donnelly said the Tribunal’s draft decisions are based on careful consideration of a range of factors including the need to support safe, reliable and efficient water catchment, storage and supply services in the Greater Sydney region.
“The Tribunal also considered stakeholder submissions received during a public hearing and in response to a November 2024 Issues Paper and a May 2025 Information Paper,” Ms Donnelly said.
“Our aim is to set prices that mean customers of WaterNSW only pay what is required to efficiently deliver bulk water services.”
“The draft prices we have set in this report are lower than WaterNSW’s September 2024 proposal to increase prices by around 14% per year. However, some increases in prices are necessary to allow WaterNSW to maintain its assets and continue to deliver reliable services that the community expects.”
Stakeholders can download a copy of the report from IPART’s website and provide feedback on the proposed prices for WaterNSW until Monday 25 August 2025.
Media Contact: Mark O’Brien
0427 105 865