Water Pricing

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Water and the River Murray a question relating to water prices.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On radio 5AA on 28 May 2013, Leon Byner asked the Premier, '…are you going to give ESCOSA the true independence to set the price of water, not SA Water and when are you going to do this?' to which the Premier replied, 'I think that's contemplated for the next pricing round.' The pricing round signed by the Premier on 2 May 2014 for the period 2006 ended 2020 limits ESCOSA's role to determining SA Water's revenue in the context of the regulated asset base. My question to the minister is: was the Premier's commitment to more independence and future pricing determinations reflected in the recent pricing orders up to 2020?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:33): As I understand it, ESCOSA is responsible after considering SA Water's business of setting the allowable revenue for SA Water and that is exactly what it does and what it would do in the future.