IPART's agency information guide details who we are, what we do and how members of the public and stakeholders can interact with us. It is updated regularly to ensure that it provides an accurate picture of our work.

IPART’s functions and how they affect members of the public

IPART provides independent regulation, reviews, oversight and price determinations across several industries in NSW. This statutory and commissioned work covers many essential sectors that impact the people of NSW. These are: 

  • Energy and climate change
  • Water
  • Transport
  • Planning and local government
  • Human services
  • Insurance 
  • Government-owned businesses

Energy and climate change

IPART has the following regulatory roles for the energy sector in NSW:

More information on these functions and how they affect members of the public can be found at the links above.

Water

In most parts of NSW, customers have no choice about who supplies their water or wastewater services. To protect consumers, water and wastewater service providers are regulated and must meet certain conditions. IPART is tasked with assessing and making recommendations to the Minister on public water utility licences and licences for private water utilities licensed under the Water Industry Competition Act 2006 (WIC Act). We audit compliance with licence obligations to ensure that water quality, system continuity and reliability, environmental performance, and customer service performance meet certain standards. 

We also determine the maximum prices that public water utilities, some smaller water utilities, and the Sydney Desalination Plant can charge, ensuring that consumer prices charged are fair.

Local water utilities operating in regional NSW are the responsibility of local government councils and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Transport

NSW’s transport system includes public and private modes covering mass transit, individual transportation, and commercial freight. For most modes, there is limited consumer choice in provider and there are limitations on supply (e.g. availability of rail and ports). 

IPART’s role in pricing and regulation of the transport sector aims to ensure that citizens have reasonable access to transport and related infrastructure and pay a fair price. Specific responsibilities include:

Planning and local government

State and local planning legislation and policies set the rules that control what development can and will occur on NSW land. They also shape municipal services, infrastructure, housing, land use and environment. 

IPART plays a role in determining income from rates and certain charges to enable Local Governments to provide their communities with services and infrastructure. IPART also undertakes other work in advising on aspects of the planning system such as developer contributions and environmental management. 

This includes:

Human services

Human services cover areas including education, health, family and community services. In these areas IPART undertakes reviews as requested under section 9 or section 12A of the IPART Act or other work commissioned by NSW Government agencies. The scope for this work is not limited to particular subject matter, and IPART has undertaken work across a broad range of public sector services and industries including early childhood education and out-of-home care. 

Insurance

IPART is the Insurance Monitor under the Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor Act 2024. In that role, IPART is responsible for monitoring insurers’ conduct during the transition from the emergency services levy (ESL) on insurance policies to a new model for funding the State’s emergency service. IPART will monitor insurers’ premiums and oversee their activities so that the community can have confidence that insurers will remove the ESL from premiums.

Government-owned businesses

The Government owns a number of commercial and non-commercial businesses across a range of sectors. These businesses are established to provide essential services on behalf of the people of NSW to overcome market challenges. 

IPART plays a role in overseeing and regulating many government businesses through our industry-based regulatory approaches (e.g. businesses operating across energy, water, transport sectors). Through this, IPART works with regulated entities to hold them accountable for their planning and performance. 

IPART also provides thought leadership on market stewardship to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.

 

IPART’s structure

IPART is a body corporate created under the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal Act 1992. It comprises three permanent members appointed by the Premier, and any number of additional members appointed by the Premier as temporary members. Of the permanent members, one is appointed as Chairperson. 

The Tribunal is supported by a Secretariat that provides research and advisory services. The Secretariat are public service employees of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal Staff Agency, a ‘separate agency’ under Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (GSE Act). Under the GSE Act, the Chairperson of the Tribunal is the head of the IPART Staff Agency. 

View tribunal and executive members and organisational structure.

How IPART’s functions affect members of the public

When conducting our work across all sectors we aim to help: 

  • protect consumers from unreasonable price increases, unfair and unsafe behaviour, and poor service
  • ensure service providers remain both efficient and financially viable 
  • encourage competition
  • protect the environment and to consider the broader community impacts of our decisions.
     

How members of the public can participate in IPART’s functions

IPART recognises that we need to effectively and fairly engage with the community to understand their needs and inform our work. Community and stakeholder engagement is an important mechanism to do this.

The Tribunal:

  • advertises its investigations and invites public submissions
  • informs key stakeholders of investigations and seeks submissions
  • holds public hearings, with transcripts and, in certain circumstances, recordings, available for public inspection
  • arranges public seminars and workshops
  • seeks the views of the public through advertisements and surveys
  • publishes issues and discussion papers
  • consults extensively with interested organisations and the parties affected by investigations
  • where appropriate, releases interim reports and seeks comments before releasing final reports
  • explains its decisions in published reports
  • maintains a website with comprehensive information about the Tribunal’s role, investigation timetables, submissions and reports issued.

IPART consultation papers, drafts, decisions and related documents are published on IPART’s website. Certain publications are also available in hard copy and are provided on request.

You can find out more about how you can have your say, including a link to open consultations and upcoming public hearings, here. You may also contact us via our enquiries form or at the contact details on this page. 

Information held by IPART 

IPART holds a range of information relating to its various functions. The information includes:

  • policy and planning documents
  • documents on the internal administration of IPART
  • internal working papers of IPART
  • documents relating to reviews, investigations and audits conducted by IPART
  • correspondence with NSW government agencies, the public, and other stakeholders
  • internal correspondence
  • submissions received by IPART
  • reports, legal instruments and other documents published by IPART
  • minutes of Tribunal and Committee meetings
  • contracts and associated documents

Accessing IPART information

You can access information relevant to a particular function or review (including reports, media releases, published policies and guidelines, fact sheets, transcripts and submissions) at the webpage for that function or review. Other information published includes:

  • information relating to tenders, contracts and information disclosed under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, available here
  • certain IPART policies and information relating to the agency, available here.

All information outlined in this agency information guide can be downloaded free of charge from our website (www.ipart.nsw.gov.au). Alternatively, you may contact us directly (see below). We try to make as much additional information about the work we do quickly and easily available through our website consistent with the government's commitment to proactive release of information.

If the information you are looking for does not fit within any of these categories above, you may seek either informal or formal access to information under the GIPA Act. If you make a formal application you will have additional rights of review of IPART's decision on information release. For any enquiries about accessing IPART information, please contact our office and ask to speak with a Right to Information Officer or email us (see below).

 

Our Contact Details

IPART's website: www.ipart.nsw.gov.au

To contact us via:

Our Enquiries form

Mail: PO Box K35, Haymarket Post Shop, NSW 1240

Telephone: (02) 9290 8400 between 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)

Office address: Level 16, 2-24 Rawson Place, Sydney NSW 2000

Email: ipart@ipart.nsw.gov.au