At the end of 1999, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (the Tribunal) recommended to government the terms and conditions of the Operating Licence for Sydney Water Corporation (Sydney Water). A new 5-year Licence commenced on 12 April 2000.

The Operating Licence includes a process for reviewing Sydney Water’s system performance standards and its Customer Contract. Under clause 7.3 of the Licence, the Minister for Energy is required to nominate an independent person to review the system performance standards by 11 April 2001. Under clause 5.1, Sydney Water must initiate an independent review of the Customer Contract.