Setting fees and charges
Water management services
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART) determines the maximum prices that water licence holders pay for water planning, management and compliance services provided by the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (WAMC). The department, the Natural Resources Access Regulator and WaterNSW deliver these services on behalf of WAMC.
WAMC manages the state's freshwater resources by developing and implementing policies and plans for sharing water between water users and the environment, administering water licences and allocations, and ensuring compliance with water laws and licences. These services are essential to ensure water can be made available to water users and the environment on a timely and sustainable basis.
The costs of managing freshwater resources in NSW are recovered partly through WAMC’s water management charges and other fees that IPART determines and are partly paid by the NSW Government on behalf of taxpayers.
A breakdown of how the revenue from WAMC charges is allocated across WAMC services under IPART’s current price determination can be found at 2023-24 IPART pricing breakdown - WaterNSW.
Current IPART Review of WAMC water management prices
WAMC agencies submitted a pricing proposal to IPART setting out services, costs and pricing changes proposed for the next determination period.
To view the proposal, visit the IPART website.
IPART is conducting an independent, public review of the proposal and will determine the prices that WAMC can charge from 1 October 2025. To help inform this decision, IPART is currently seeking feedback from WAMC customers, stakeholders and the public on its draft decisions on WAMC costs and prices.
To view IPART’s draft report on WAMC pricing and to make a submission, visit the IPART website.
Our engagement with customers and community on WAMC services and prices
WAMC agencies conducted extensive customer, community, and stakeholder engagement from early 2023 to early 2024 to inform the pricing proposal. We also took into account what we have heard through all our engagement on water planning and management activities since 2021. The WAMC Engagement Charter sets out our approach to engagement, in conjunction with engagement strategies of each WAMC agency. The Engagement Outcomes Report summarises the feedback we heard during this process and how it is reflected in our pricing proposal.
Two-part tariff
The water management charges for your unregulated river or groundwater licence can be billed under a 1 or 2-part tariff. This billing structure might act as an incentive for customers to have their water take metered or assessed.
If you are billed under the one-part tariff, the entitlement charge is applied to your licence volumetric ML entitlement or unit shares.
Under the 2-part tariff your water take is metered or assessed and you are billed for:
- lower entitlement charge (than under the 1 part tariff) applied to your licence volumetric ML entitlement or unit shares
- water take charge applied to your ML of usage
- water take reading/assessments charge or a meter service charge (if your meter is a corporation meter)
Regulated river licence holders are all required to meter their water usage and are billed under the 2-part tariff.
WaterNSW issues water bills in rural and regional areas of NSW.
For more information about charges go to Water management charges
Application for the 2-part tariff
To apply for the 2-part tariff visit WaterNSW and complete and return the application form to WaterNSW. A determination will be made and you will be advised in writing if your application was approved.
If your application is successful:
- You might not be able to revert to a 1-part tariff (contact WaterNSW for further information)
- The 2-part tariff will be charged from 1 July of the year following the year of your application. This is to ensure
that the full year water usage is metered or assessed.
Having your water take assessed
Metering your water take is the best way to determine how much water you used during the billing period and provide WaterNSW with evidence of your water use. Metering your water take will also provide you with accurate, real time information you can use to improve your water efficiency and achieve cost savings. Contact WaterNSW for more information.
Water management charges
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART) sets the prices that can be charged for water management services delivered on behalf of the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (WAMC). Fees and charges are adjusted each year for inflation.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Natural Resources Access Regulator and WaterNSW are responsible for delivering water management services across NSW.
Three types of fees and charges are levied for WAMC services in NSW:
- Water management charges recover part of the cost of water management services
- Consent transaction fees recover part of the cost of processing your applications
- Metering and water take assessment charges recover part of the cost of determining and recording your water usage.
IPART has commenced its periodic review of WAMC water management prices.
The department and the Natural Resources Access Regulator made a joint submission to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s review of pricing on 30 June 2020. The new fees and prices determined by IPART will apply from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2025 (the 2021 regulatory period).
To find out more about the submission, visit the IPART website.
For more detailed information on fees and charges and how they are set, visit Setting fees and charges or visit IPART
Your water licence bill
The bill for your water access licence is issued by WaterNSW. For further information about your water bill and how charges are applied visit WaterNSW
Reports to IPART
View the latest reports on certain output measures and performance indicators set for the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (WAMC) by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART).