Friday, 14 November 2025

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:18): I rise to update the chamber on the Greater Western Water billing matter. As water minister, I have a simple priority: customers are treated fairly. Victorians should feel confident their rights are protected and that the system is working for them. Greater Western Water has faced serious issues with its billing system. Recognising this, the independent regulator, the Essential Services Commission, accepted Greater Western Water’s $130 million customer remediation package earlier this week. This is the largest undertaking the commission has ever accepted across water and energy. This is a major step, and it shows that the water corporation must make things right.

Today media reports have highlighted that the Essential Services Commission and the energy and water ombudsman have arrived at some different interpretations of law in this matter. The regulator and ombudsman are both independent of government. They both work to protect customers. They both have important oversight roles. We cannot let this matter of interpretation of water sector rules remain unresolved.

GWW customers rightly expect clear answers. They want to know the agencies set up to help them are working together. Today I am calling on the ESC and the Ombudsman to sit down and reach a speedy resolution. The department is ready to support this and help bring everyone to the table. Where there is ambiguity in the rules, we will work with the sector to fix them. But right now the priority is cooperation. Customers should not be caught in the middle of a legal debate. They deserve certainty and quick action. We expect all parties to continue to work in good faith and to put customers first.