FAQs
Why is Sydney water reviewing infrastructure contribution for recycled water services in Rouse Hill and Hoxton Park?
Sydney Water reviews its infrastructure contributions for recycled water services every five years to ensure the prices reflect the most up-to-date cost and development information.
Are contributions increasing? By how much?
No, contributions are not increasing.
The infrastructure contribution at Rouse Hill will fall by about 6% or $278. The contribution at Hoxton Park will remain unchanged as the current price cap will continue to apply.
Sydney Water's preference is to keep prices as low as possible, though we may be required to further increase the contribution rates for regulatory compliance reasons.
Do developers have an opportunity to see an explanation for the new contributions?
Yes. The draft infrastructure contributions are described in the associated Draft Development Servicing Plan (DSP which will be on display for 30 working days from Monday 19 July to Monday 30 August 2021.This period is known as the public exhibition period, and information can be found here Review of recycled water charges to developments in Rouse Hill and Hoxton Park | Sydney Water Talk
Do developers have an opportunity to provide feedback?
Sydney Water invites feedback. However, there is a deadline. Written submissions must be provided by 5 pm on Monday, 30 August 2021, to:
Email: developercharges@sydneywater.com.au
By post:
Rouse Hill and Hoxton Park Developer Charges
Michael English
Competition and Market Development Manager
Sydney Water
PO Box 399
Parramatta NSW 2124
When did Sydney Water first charge for recycled water services in Rouse Hill and Hoxton Park development areas?
Sydney Water has levied recycled water infrastructure contributions at Rouse Hill since 2000 and Hoxton Park since 2005.
What do infrastructure contributions cover?
Infrastructure contributions aim to recover the cost of servicing growth, using a methodology set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
Each development pays a share of the total cost of servicing growth in an area, based on how much demand they add to the network (measured in units known as equivalent tenements (ETs), where one residential house is equal to one ET.
What are the current infrastructure contributions?
For Rouse Hill, the current contribution is $4,510 per ET. The contribution in Hoxton Park is $8,007.
When will the new contributions take effect?
The new contributions for Rouse Hill and for Hoxton Park will take effect by 30 September 2021 after they have been registered with IPART.
What happens when the public exhibition period ends?
Sydney Water has 30 days to review the written submissions, finalise the Development Servicing Plans for Rouse Hill and Hoxton Park, and register the DSPs with IPART.
Didn’t Sydney Water already announce a public exhibition period in May?
That’s right. The public exhibition period was initially set to begin on 17 May.
However, Sydney Water sought time to clarify a technical matter with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. The public exhibition was delayed pending IPART deliberations.
IPART has extended Sydney Water’s deadline for registering the new DSP in view of the time IPART needed to consider and form a decision on the technical matter.
The new deadline is 30 September 2021.