Submission to the National Water Reform 2026
ATSE’s submission supports the undertaking of the National Water Reform to inform a holistic approach to water reform and foster a more sustainable water services industry.
ATSE welcomes the undertaking of the National Water Reform to inform holistic national water reform and to support a more sustainable water service industry.
The submission emphasises unimplemented recommendations that remain vital, including the establishment of a National Water Commission and strengthening the focus on urban water management. ATSE also supports consideration of new and emerging issues, such as the water needs of the data centre industry, and the integration of an ESG framework into National Water Reform.
ATSE makes the following recommendations for the 2026 review of National Water Reform:
Recommendation 1: Re-establish and evolve the National Water Commission.
Recommendation 2: Integrate an Environment | Social | Governance (ESG) framework into National Water Reform.
Recommendation 3: Apply the ESG framework for interjurisdictional integration of land and water management for sustainable and economic outcomes.
Recommendation 4: Require modelling assumptions, methodologies and datasets used in regulatory and planning decisions be made publicly available.
Recommendation 5: Strengthen the focus on urban water management as part of National Water Reform.
Recommendation 6: Work with data centre developers to minimise adverse impacts and costs on municipal water systems and enable an equitable pricing framework.
Recommendation 7: Require lifecycle water analysis to underpin the strategic locations of data centres across the nation, coordinated by a renewed National Water Commission, and founded on an ESG framework.
