IPART has established the Regulators Advisory Panel (RAP), which aims to promote better collaboration between water regulators in NSW for the benefit of customers and water businesses. This was one of our key commitments when we published the Water Regulation Handbook.

The RAP is comprised of the following Members:

  • Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal
  • Natural Resources Access Regulator
  • NSW Department of Planning and Environment – Water Group
  • NSW Environment Protection Authority
  • NSW Health

Purpose

The purpose of the RAP is to promote stronger collaboration between the Members for the benefit of customers and water businesses. The Members of the RAP will endeavour to encourage better long-term planning to balance costs, manage health risks and optimise environmental outcomes for customer and the community. The RAP provides a forum for which Members of the RAP may discuss policy, share information to the extent permitted by law, and identify gaps or conflicts in the regulatory environment. It also seeks to align regulatory expectations to establish a consistent regulatory setting for water businesses and promote transparency in establishing regulatory standards.

The RAP is not a decision-making body and cannot make legally binding determinations about any Member or water business. Each Member is an independent regulator and will continue to be responsible for making its own regulatory decisions.

Guests

The RAP may invite a person or entity with sufficient interest in the regulation of water businesses to participate in a meeting of the RAP. An interested party includes other regulators, customer advocacy groups or water businesses.

An interested party may email Scott Chapman scott.chapman@ipart.nsw.gov.au to express an interest in attending a meeting or submit an issue for consideration to the RAP.

Memorandum of Understanding

IPART has consulted each of the Members on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the RAP. The MOU sets out the key principles that govern the RAP and the scope of cooperation.

The MOU for the RAP is published on our Agreements with Other Agencies page.

Minutes of RAP meetings

The RAP aims to meet at least twice a year. The first meeting of the RAP was held on 25 September 2023. We will publish minutes of the RAP meetings as they occur below.