The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is seeking feedback on a Discussion Paper about domestic waste management charges levied by local Councils.
Chair of IPART, Paul Paterson said there was a wide variation in charges, and in some cases services may not be delivering good value for ratepayers.
“There may also be challenges for local Councils in purchasing and pricing waste management services,” Dr Paterson said.
“We intend to approach the issue with caution, recognising that prescriptive regulation may not be appropriate,” he said.
“There may be other ways to help Councils and ratepayers get quality services at reasonable prices, such as improving transparency of costs and sharing best practice guidance”
Dr Paterson said the Discussion Paper asked for feedback on whether stakeholders thought there were any issues with the prices charged for waste management services and, if so, how IPART should respond.
“We are particularly interested in whether charges reflect the reasonable and efficient costs of providing waste services while meeting environmental and legislative requirements,” he said.
“We are also keen to hear what opportunities there may be for greater transparency for customers and councils.”
Dr Paterson encouraged ratepayers, Councils and other stakeholders to make a submission to the review before 6 October.
IPART’s 40-page Discussion Paper as well as information on how to have a say can be accessed at this PS News link.
