The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is reviewing the maximum prices that Sydney Water can charge customers to provide water, wastewater, stormwater, and other services. The prices we set in this review will apply from 1 July 2025 for 5 years.

The Cooks River Alliance (CRA), along with the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) and Stormwater NSW, made a joint submission on 8 December 2024.

Our Position

The PRCG, the CRA, and Stormwater NSW generally support Sydney Water Corporation’s 2025-30 pricing submission and its intent to secure Sydney’s water supply, reduce waterway pollution, and facilitate urban liveability. A particularly important challenge given Sydney’s ongoing population growth and urban expansion, and the compounding effects climate change.

Given our collective focus on urban waterways, we give specific support to the environmental protection and waterway health improvement components of Sydney Water’s 2025-30 Price Proposal. This includes (but is not necessarily limited to) the following:

• Approximately $600 Million for Stormwater and waterways, including renewing channels,
  pipes and assets; continuation of their Waterway Health Improvement Program;
  continuation of routine stormwater operations and maintenance; some extra desilting and
  remediation works; maintenance of existing stormwater natural assets, improving the
  Property Environmental Management Program, and additional staff to work with catchment
  groups and councils to improve waterway health outcomes.
• $480 million to reduce wet weather overflows, i.e., sewage overflows that directly and indirectly (typically via stormwater systems) find their way into our urban rivers and bays.

We also acknowledge that Sydney Water, through its pricing proposal, is committing to an additional $21.9 Billion dollars to extend and renew critical wastewater network and treatment infrastructure. While these investments do not overtly correct the centuries of damage to our waterways, they will be essential in reducing the impacts of population growth and urban expansion by reducing and preventing sewerage overflows into our stormwater systems and, therefore, our waterways and marine environments. These investments will also be crucial in securing Sydney’s water supply as the combined effects of population growth and climate change continue to manifest. Hence, we also give our support to this $21.9 Billion investment to extend and renew critical network and treatment infrastructure.

Read the full submission HERE.