10th Annual Water Pricing Summit 2012

Moderating price rises in the urban and rural water sectors

Exploring drivers of water price increases through case studies, expert insights, panel discussions and streamed sessions with a specific focus on urban and rural issues

The rising cost of water in Australia is significant, driven by the scale of desalination development and infrastructure investment more broadly. Coupled with a combination of environmental costs, and issues around supply bottlenecks and customer usage patterns have resulted in an average of 18% increases in water bills for householders Australia wide this year, and price hikes on par in regional areas.

Regulatory bodies, utilities, irrigators and consumers alike are pushing for reform to moderate these price increases. Development of a coherent set of objectives is critical for Australia's water sector - from the National Water Initiative and beyond, more measured and considered and more cost-reflective pricing to encourage a responsive market are both critical to reducing the steep incline in water costs.

Numerous challenges are hampering this effort, including socio-political and environmental issues such as rapid population growth and urban development, changing and growing consumer needs, wastewater and network infrastructure demands and increasing climate variability.

Coupled with institutional factors such as inadequate planning tools and processes to deal with variability, ownership structures and job roles which are sometimes unclear and incomplete, insufficient transparency, and the failure to properly assess, manage and distribute risk, the water pricing challenge is a difficult egg to crack.

• How can we change institutional and policy settings?
• Improve service delivery and price?
• Promote clearer cost-benefit analysis and cost sharing?
• Manage diverse stakeholder groups and their demands regarding water infrastructure development?
• Understand the economic climate and impacts on water infrastructure development and planning and make better decisions along these lines that aren’t reflexive and politically driven?

This year's 9th Annual Water Pricing Summit has been developed in partnership with the National Water Commission and will be held on the 24 - 25 October 2011 at the Sydney Harbour Marriott at Circular Quay, Sydney.

Featuring a range of senior government, industry, and analyst contributions including:

• Chloe Munro, Chair, National Water Commission
• Daniel Masters, Infrastructure Economist, Bulk Water Transport, State Water Corporation
• Andrew Foley, General Manager Strategy and Development, Allconnex
• Neal Hughes, Water Economics Section, ABARES
• Amanda Chadwick, Director - Water, Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal
• Murray Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project
• Brian Edwards, Executive Manager, Southern Water
• Gerald White, Chief Financial Officer, Power and Water Corporation, NT
• Barry Abrams, Manager Economics, Finance and Regulatory Division, Sydney Water
• Andrea La Nauze, Economic Policy Branch, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria
• Christopher J Walsh, Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne
• Nicole Sexton, Greenhouse Planner, Barwon Water
• Philippa O'Sullivan, Acting Manager Strategy and Innovation, Barwon Water
• Freya Harley, Principal Adviser Sustainability, Sydney Water
• David Wiskar, General Manager Government Relations, Innovation and Commercial Services, Wide Bay Water
• Vasilis Sarafidis, Lecturer in Econometrics, University of Sydney
• Sebastian Roberts, General Manager – Water Branch, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission