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The Newman Government will significantly reduce the number of water supply businesses servicing South East Queensland (SEQ) from four to one.

In a media release issued today, the Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark McArdle said merging three SEQ bulk water entities (Seqwater, LinkWater and the SEQ Water Grid Manager) and abolishing the Queensland Water Commission (QWC) would reduce the cost of supplying drinking water across South East Queensland.  Mr McArdle said the merger would be a major undertaking, involving businesses with SEQ water grid assets worth approximately $9 billion and around 700 staff.

"The transition from three bulk water businesses to a single supply authority servicing SEQ will cut board and executive costs as well as administrative charges. We need to get SEQ's urban water supply system back on track heading towards greater efficiency, less duplication and lower costs for households, small businesses and industry," he said.  "Less duplication, opportunities to better co-ordinate infrastructure planning and investment and capacity will improve efficiencies and savings."

As part of the broader legislative package to simplify the previous Government's bulk water model, the QWC will be abolished on 1 July 2012 - with most of its functions and services taken up by the Department of Energy and Water Supply by 1 January 2013.