AGY-993 | Hunter Water Corporation

Full description

The Hunter Water Corporation was a state owned corporation constituted under the Hunter Water Board (Corporatisation) Act, 1991(1) providing water and sewer services to people within the five local government areas of the Hunter region. These included the municipalities of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Cessnock and the shire of Port Stephens. The organisation was corporatised on 1 January 1992 (2).

The Corporation was regulated by -
· the State Government through the Operating Licence which sets standards of service
· the Department of Land and Water Conservation which provides licences to extract water
· the Environment Protection Authority which licences effluent discharge
· the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal which sets prices
· the Natural Resources Access Regulator which issues licences to extract water.

The main activities of Hunter Water Corporation were -
· planning and management of headworks · harvesting and treatment of raw water
· bulk transport of treated water · reticulation of treated water to customer
· treatment and disposal of effluent · management of stormwater facilities in defined areas.

There were a number of trading businesses within the Hunter Water Corporation providing services to the organisation and outside clients covering water treatment, laboratory services, engineering, survey and land information, and management services. Hunter Watertech Pty Limited (incorporated on 11 February 1994) (3) was the Corporation's subsidiary company working with other water corporations, gas and electricity utilities, rail companies, irrigators, pulp mills, and local government councils.

Hunter Water, in conjunction with the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation was working with the Solomon Islands Government to establish the Solomon Islands Water Authority.

The Corporation was established on 1 January 1992 under the Minister for Housing with the Director of the Department of Water Resources having control of special areas under section 52 of the Hunter Water Board (Corporatisation) Act 1991 (Act No.53, 1991). (4) From 1996 it was transferred to the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning following the creation of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning which consisted of the former Department of Planning and most of the branches of the Ministry of Housing, Planning and Urban Affairs. (5) From 2002, the Minister for Energy assumed responsibility for the act with the exception of part 5, division 8 which came under the Minister for Land and Water Conservation. (6)

In 2011, the staff principally involved with the administration of the Hunter Water Act 1991 were added to the Department of Finance and Services. The Lower Hunter Water Plan was being coordinated by the Metropolitan Water Directorate of NSW Department of Finances and Services in collaboration with Hunter Water. (7) (8) In 2015, an administrative order directed that the Director of the Department of Water Resources was to be construed as a reference to the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development. (9) Responsibility for the administration of the Hunter Water Act 1991 was then transferred to the Minister for Energy and Utilities in 2017 (10) and in 2019, this responsibility was transferred to the Minister for Water, Property and Housing. (11) In 2021, the act fell under the purview of the Minister for Lands and Water. (12)

FOOTNOTES
1. Assented to 11 December 1991, NSW Government Gazette No.180, 20 December 1991, p.10549.
2. Hunter Water Corporation Half Yearly Report for the period ended 30 June 1992, p.1.
3. Hunter Water Corporation Half Yearly Report for the period ended 31 December 1995, p.14.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.180, 20 December 1991, p.10554.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.43, 4 April 1996, p.1481.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.133, 23 August 2002, p.6184.
7. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011, cl. 33A; NSW Legislation Website, 3 April 2011.
8. Hunter Water Annual Report, 2010-2011.
9. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Miscellaneous) Order 2015, cl. 6 (1); NSW Legislation Website, 2 September 2015.
10. Administrative Arrangements (Administration of Acts - General) Order 2017 (2017 No 17); NSW Legislation Website, 30 January 2017.
11. Administrative Arrangements (Administration of Acts - General) Order (No 2) 2019 (2019 No 178); NSW Legislation Website, 1 May 2019.
12. Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry—Allocation of Acts and Agencies) Order 2021 (2021 No 789); NSW Legislation Website, 21 December 2021.