The Australian Government’s National Water Commission has released a position statement on urban water pricing outlining future reform priorities, including greater use of scarcity pricing, ending the use of inclining block tariffs and introducing greater competition in the urban water sector through institutional and structural reforms.
To support efforts to advance urban water pricing and institutional reforms, the Commission has released an accompanying report prepared by Frontier (Australia), which highlights alternative institutional and water charging options.
Commissioner Chloe Munro announced that the Waterlines report prepared by Frontier Economics, together with the Commission’s accompanying Position Statement, shows that new approaches to water pricing have the potential to deliver better outcomes for water users, reducing the reliance on costly water restrictions.