[no bill text published] NSW Leasing Restrictions for Water Corporations Regarding Critical Assets

Constitution Amendment (Water NSW and Local Water Utilities) Bill 2023

Opposition Bill

30 Nov 2023: This bill has lapsed and is no longer under discussion.

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

Share this bill

Email Facebook X Bluesky

Topics

critical assets public infrastructure public ownership water management water utilities

Introduced by: Steph Cooke MP (NAT)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Water corporations cannot lease critical assets from non-public entities; they cannot enter agreements to use critical assets owned by non-public entities.
An Act of Parliament can override these leasing bans.
Existing leases or agreements can be renewed.
A partial acquisition of a necessary asset is treated as a sale of a main undertaking if a non-public entity owns the rest of the asset.
The definition of water corporation now includes Sydney Water, Hunter Water, Water NSW, water supply authorities, and local or county councils performing water functions.

News articles and press releases

Constitution Amendment (Water NSW and Local Water Utilities) Bill 2023

Ms STEPH COOKE, Member for Cootamundra — 2023-11-30

I am putting forward a bill that enshrines government ownership of WaterNSW and the 89 local water utilities across regional, rural and remote New South Wales in the State Constitution. What does that mean in practice? It means that no matter where you live, whether in Sydney or regional New South Wales, your essential water assets will not be put up for sale when this Government inevitably starts looking for things to sell off to pay its mounting bills. It should not matter where you live; our duty in this place is to prioritise the security, management and infrastructure of water resources for all citizens in New South Wales. That means ensuring continued public ownership of our most essential assets.