A report, including a submission from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (PMHC), aiming to protect local water utilities from privatisation has been tabled.
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The report by the Joint Select Committee on Protecting Local Water Utilities from Privatisation included 13 recommendations to the NSW Government.
The Committee was established to look into ways of protecting local water utilities (LWUs) from privatisation, amalgamations and forced sell-offs after NSW Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment (Sydney Water and Hunter Water) Bill 2023, which prevents the privatisation of Sydney Water and Hunter Water.
In a submission by PMHC, director community utilities Jeffrey Sharp, said the provision of safe, reliable and affordable water and sewerage services "adds to the lifeblood" of rural and regional communities.
"Local Water Utilities should stay in local community ownership through the local or county council," he said in the submission.
PMHC believes one way that improvements to the functioning of Local Water Utilities, including strengthening protections of public ownership could be made, is through a review and amendments to the Local Government Act 1993.
"This legislation already includes protection of public ownership of other community assets such as Community Land," Mr Sharp said.
"Having recognition of public ownership and restrictions around the sell-off or privatisation of water and sewer assets in the Local Government Act would provide a high level of assurance to the community around the ongoing protection of public assets."
Committee Chair, the Hon Stephen Lawrence MLC, said that inquiry participants overwhelmingly opposed privatisation of LWUs and their assets and supported legislative protections against privatisation.
"Every citizen in our State, regardless of where they live, deserves certainty in terms of the future of their water supply," Mr Lawrence said.
"That's why the Committee recommends that the NSW Government develop new legislation to protect local water utilities from privatisation, forced amalgamations and sell-offs."
The Committee received 34 submissions from local councils, county councils, joint organisations, member associations, government agencies and members of the public.
Mr Sharp, in the council's submission, said there would be a "significant risk" if the local water utility function was removed from councils and that "important connection with and involvement from the community would be lost".
"Amalgamating local water utility function across large geographic areas also has the potential to introduce significant risk to the provision of services that best serve those unique communities," he said in the submission.
Mr Lawrence said the report makes a number of recommendations that aim to address key challenges and opportunities currently facing LWUs across the state.
"On behalf of the Committee, I thank everyone who made a submission or appeared as a witness at one of our public hearings," he said.
"We hope this report and its recommendations will translate into improved outcomes and greater certainty for LWUs across NSW."
The report can be found on the inquiry webpage.
