Since 1992 IPART has been conducting reviews that affect the people of NSW. Two important factors in the review process are:

  • actively engaging with consumers
  • conducting research and analysis.

Our process is transparent and impartial. Our findings help guide the NSW Government.

How long do reviews take?

The time a review takes varies. We publish a timetable at the start of each review to give you an idea of the time frames. Reviews generally take between 3-12 months.

What are the review stages?

The stages of a review can vary, depending on the individual review. However, most reviews follow this process:

  1. Preparation

    During this step we prepare our approach and publish a timetable. Each review is different in the time it takes and questions we’ll ask.

  2. Issues paper and consultation

    Have your say by making a submission in response to an issues paper.

    We publish an Issues Paper to explain our objectives and the criteria we’ll use for our decision. We invite comments on the Issues Paper.

  3. Draft report and consultation

    Have your say by making a submission in response to the draft report.

    We invite feedback on our Draft Report. You can have your say before we make a final decision or recommendation.

  4. Public hearings

    Have your say by making a submission or attending a public hearing.

    We engage with the public through public hearings at specific times in the review process. The hearings provide a forum for feedback and inform our decision.

  5. Final report

    Final Reports or pricing determinations are available immediately. Special reports or licensing recommendations are submitted to the NSW Government.

Reviewing local government rates

We also regulate local government rates. Every year we set the ‘rate peg’ – the percentage increase allowed for revenue collected from council rates. Councils can apply for a larger increase via a ‘special variation’.

We publish a list of councils that want to exceed the pegged rate, along with why they want the increase.

Councils must actively engage with residents about any increases above the rate peg. Councils must demonstrate:

  • community awareness of the council’s plans
  • a need for the higher increase
  • a reasonable impact on ratepayers
  • a sustainable financing strategy
  • a history of well-documented productivity improvements.

Before we decide if we’ll grant the special variation, we also consider other information such as letters from ratepayers.

IPART can wholly or partially approve or reject a council’s application. Our reasons will be published and available on this website.

Improving our performance

Every two years we run our stakeholder survey to help us refine our processes. We’d love to hear from you.