Consultations

​​​​​The Tasmanian Economic Regulator encourages interested parties, including members of the public, to participate in its consultation activities. Submissions in response to consultation can be made by members of the public, regulated entities, businesses, or those with an interest in a particular subject. 

If you are considering making a submission, please read our short Fact Sheet. More detailed information can be found in the Consultation Policy and Procedures of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator Guideline. 

The Regulator will not publish submissions that contain material that the Regulator believes is or could be derogatory or defamatory. 

Confidentiality 

The Regulator will publish all written submissions on the OTTER website, including your name, unless you indicate that all or part of your submission should be treated as confidential. If you claim confidentiality, you will need to explain why the information should be treated as confidential, and the Regulator will give you the opportunity to withdraw your submission if it does not accept your claim of confidentiality. Submissions cannot be withdrawn once they are published. 

The Regulator has a Policy on the Treatment of Confidential submissions that sets out how the Regulator deals with claims that submissions made in the course of consultation contain material that it should treat as confidential.

Preparing a Submission 

The Regulator generally prefers that submissions be made in writing. Your submission should relate to the project or inquiry that the Regulator is consulting on. It is recommended that your submission is concise and emphasises key points, issues and potential solutions that the Regulator should consider. ​

Submissions can be made: 

If a written submission is not possible, the Reg​ulat​​​​​or encourages you to contact OTTER to discuss alternative options. 


Current consultations​​

Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Industry Customer Service Code

The Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Industry Customer Service Code (the Code) specifies the standards and conditions of service and supply that TasWater must comply with when providing regulated services to customers.

The Regulator has recently reviewed the Code and proposes to amend it to:

  • ​require a regulated entity to have a family violence policy;
  • ​amend the existing hardship provisions to provide guidance on circumstances where a customer may be experiencing financial hardship, allow a regulated entity to identify customers that may be experiencing financial hardship and require a regulated entity to ensure its financial hardship policy is easily accessible;
  • allow a regulated entity to not clean up and disinfect an area affected by a sewage spill if the affected customer waives that requirement;
  • separate the requirements for dealing with enquiries from those that relate to complaints and dispute resolution;
  • provide for additional means of electronic communication when contacting customers regarding legal action, disconnection and restriction of services; and
  • reduce the rate of interest that a regulated entity pays on refunds of overcharged amounts and that customers pay on underpayments.

A Draft Code and Consultation Paper are available for viewing here:

 Draft Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Industry Customer Service Code, Version 9 (PDF 528Kb)​

 Consultation Paper - Proposed amendments to the Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Industry Customer Service Code (PDF 3Mb)

Submissions close 5:00pm on 24 April 2025. 


​Past consultations

Click here for a list of past consultations​.
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