North East Water price review 2026

North East Water has provided its price submission on proposed prices and key outcomes for its customers. We will assess the price submission and make a price determination on the maximum price North East Water can charge for its services from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2031. 

Snapshot of North East Water’s price submission

*You can access latest independent forecasts for inflation at Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

What are the changes to prices and tariffs?

North East Water has proposed to largely maintain its existing water and wastewater tariff structures and rebalance the fixed to variable ratio of its tariff revenue which currently sits at 42:58. It has proposed to gradually achieve a higher proportion of revenue from fixed tariffs over the 2026–31 period, by increasing its variable water usage charge by less than its fixed water and wastewater service charges. This will provide some bill relief for tenants (who are currently paying the highest average bill in Victoria), large households and small business customers.

Overall, North East Water has proposed to increase its prices. Core water and sewerage price movements will vary across customers depending on their location and the size of their connection to the supply system. Over the next pricing period:

• the variable water usage charge will see an annual increase of 2.1 per cent (before inflation)
• the majority of customers with a 20mm connection will see an annual increase of between 8.3–9.4 per cent (before inflation) in the fixed water service charge
• the majority of customers who live in larger towns will see an annual increase of between 8.2–9.2 per cent (before inflation) in the fixed wastewater service charge
• all trade waste charges will see an annual increase of 5.25 per cent (before inflation)
• miscellaneous charges and fees will be adjusted annually for inflation only.

North East Water proposes to increase its combined connection charge for all new water and wastewater customers by 13 per cent (before inflation) in 2026‑27. This comprises a 62 per cent increase in 2026‑27 for its wastewater connection charge, followed by inflation-only increases for the remaining four years. It proposes to reduce its water new customer contributions to zero for the entire regulatory period 2026–31.  

How will this affect your bill?

Prices and tariffs are only part of the bill. Your actual bill depends on factors such as the amount of water and services you use in addition to inflation, which is added to bills each year.

North East Water provided us with typical bills for different customer groups and water volumes, before inflation.

Typical annual water and sewerage bills (not including inflation)

What are the outcomes for customers?

As part of their price submissions, water businesses must propose a set of outcomes that they will deliver to their customers over the pricing period. The set of outcomes, measures and targets are unique to each business, reflecting those performance elements that matter most to its customers, as revealed through the customer engagement process. 

North East Water worked with its customers to develop five outcomes, with measures and targets to monitor its performance. North East Water’s outcome commitments to its customers are:

• Fair prices – Fair prices, value for money and increased customer support
• Sustainable practices – Minimise its impact on the environment and contribute to sustainable environmental health
• Reliable systems – Clean, safe water and more resilient systems
• Responsive services – Timely responses and a seamless customer experience
• Local community – Local people and local partnerships to achieve positive outcomes for customers.

North East Water proposes to retain its three existing Guaranteed Service Level commitments and to introduce one new Guaranteed Service Level commitment relating to sewerage service responsiveness.

North East Water also proposed to:

• boost environmental performance and cut greenhouse emissions by upgrading wastewater treatment plants and executing emission reduction strategies
• improve outage response and communication with customers by utilizing a number of digital tools (digital contact centre, smart meters, customer portal, developer online portal).

What are the major works that will go on around you?