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SEQ Water Institutional Arrangements

The Queensland Government commenced changing the structure of the SEQ urban water industry dramatically in 2007. The changes have often seen reversals of previous decisions and have had an ongoing and significant negative impact on the industry and its workers. A summary of some of the changes is listed below.

  • Local government reform process completed in March 2008. Amalgamation affected the seventeen existing SEQ council Water Service Providers to form ten entities within the ten new local governments.
  • In July 2008 water retail and wastewater services remained with councils but all former bulk water functions were mandatorily moved to the state under the control of three new State-owned Statutory Authorities (Seqwater, Linkwater and Watersecure) and the newly created Water Grid Manager.
  • Establishment (briefly) of a single distribution/ retail entity to take control of water retail and wastewater services from the 10 SEQ councils and initial plans to develop three independent retail entities.
  • May - July 2010, reversal of decision and removal of the single entity, establishment instead of:
    • Unitywater (servicing Sunshine Coast and Moreton local government areas)
    • Queensland Urban Utilities (servicing Brisbane, Ipswich, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim local government areas)
    • Allconnex Water (servicing Gold Coast, Redlands, Logan local government areas)
  • December 2010 decision to merge two of the new bulk entities (Watersecure and Seqwater) by July 2011
  • April 2011, announcement that legislation requiring local government distribution retail entities is to be repealed.
  • July 2011, decision by council owners of QUU and Unity Water to retain the common water utilities. Allconnex owners decide to return to individual local government management of urban water services.

Relevant Documents

e Flash # 139 - 12 October 2011 e Flash # 139 - 12 October 2011 - Release Date 12-Oct-2011: - 1. Legislation Introduced to Hand Allconnex Back to Councils. | 2. AWA QWater's Regional Conference. | 3. Funding for Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse Projects. | (38KB)

e Flash #120 - 1 June 2011 e Flash #120 - 1 June 2011 - Release Date 01-Jun-2011: - 1. qldwater Response to Productivity Commission Draft Report. | 2. Skills Queensland Strategic Investment Fund Launched. | (34KB)

e Flash # 114 - 8 April 2011 e Flash # 114 - 8 April 2011 - Release Date 08-Apr-2011: - 1. Unrest in Qld Urban Water Industry. | 2. Update on Premier's Announcement of Further Restructure of SEQ Industry. | 3. National Water Commission Review of Urban Water Industry. | (41KB)

e Flash # 113 - 8 April 2011 e Flash # 113 - 8 April 2011 - Release Date 08-Apr-2011: - 1. Premier Announces SEQ Water Utilities Free to Return to Local Government Management. | (28KB)

10 Principles from Future of Water Industry Taskforce 10 Principles from Future of Water Industry Taskforce - Release Date 30-Sep-2008: - The Future of the Water Industry (outside SEQ) Taskforce met in Mackay in August 2008 and created general principles that should guide any future changes to the Local Government water industry. These principles were later endorsed by the LGAQ Executive Committee and presented to the Regulator. | Free member download. | (41KB)

Industry Leader's comments on reforms - Patrick Murphy Industry Leader's comments on reforms - Patrick Murphy - Release Date 12-Jul-2007: - qldwater approached industry leaders for their views on institutional changes in SEQ and the LG reform process. This is the response from Patrick Murphy, Boonah Shire Council, which is one of the 17 Councils impacted by the changes to SEQ institutional arrangements. Patrick is the Vice President and Treasurer of the Institute of Public Works Engineers Queensland and this year was voted Engineer of the Year by his peers. | Free member download. | (74KB)

Industry Leader's comments on reforms - Andrew Ryan Industry Leader's comments on reforms - Andrew Ryan - Release Date 31-May-2007: - The Queensland Water Directorate approached a number of industry leaders for their comments and views on the current upheaval of the Queensland Water Industry as a result of changes in SEQ and the LG reform process. This is the response from Andrew Ryan, Director of City Assets, Caloundra City Council and member of the IPWEAQ Board. (38KB)

Industry Leader's comments on reforms - David Wiskar Industry Leader's comments on reforms - David Wiskar - Release Date 31-May-2007: - The Queensland Water Directorate approached a number of industry leaders for their comments and views on the current upheaval of the Queensland Water Industry as a result of changes in SEQ and the LG reform process. This is the response from David Wiskar - Executive Manager, Wide Bay Water and Chair of the Technical Reference Group of the Queensland Water Directorate. | Free member download. | (38KB)

Industry Leader's comments on reforms - Shaun Cox Industry Leader's comments on reforms - Shaun Cox - Release Date 31-May-2007: - qldwater approached industry leaders for their views on institutional changes in SEQ and the LG reform process. This is the response from Shaun Cox, Director Gold Coast Water, member of the SEQ Water Technical Committee and Chair of the Board of the Water Services Association of Australia. | Free member download. | (31KB)