SEQ urban water retail price monitoring 2009

The Premier and the Treasurer referred the water supply activities of ten south east Queensland local governments to us for a price monitoring investigation.

The direction applied to the year starting 1 July 2009 and required us to report on:

1. the extent to which increases in retail water prices were attributed by the local governments to increases in bulk water grid costs and other costs in a statement of reasons provided by the local government
2. whether the increases in bulk water grid costs and other costs were supported by local government budget or other official, legal or commercial documentation and official media statements and releases
3. whether these attributed increases in retail prices go beyond those required to recover the increase in bulk water grid costs advised by the government, and other costs. 

We released a final report for each of the 10 local government in south east Queensland on 30 October 2009.