Water and Sewerage Industry (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2019 (Tas)

Water and Sewerage Industry (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2019

I, the Governor in and over the State of Tasmania and its Dependencies in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Executive Council, make the following regulations under the Water and Sewerage Industry Act 2008 .

18 November 2019

C. WARNER

Governor

By Her Excellency's Command,

GUY BARNETT

Minister for Primary Industries and Water

PART 1 - Preliminary

1. Short title These regulations may be cited as the Water and Sewerage Industry (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2019 .

2. Commencement These regulations take effect on 25 November 2019.

3. Interpretation (1) In these regulations – account, in relation to a regulated entity, means a written instrument issued, or to be issued, to a customer setting out any fees or interest that are payable to the regulated entity by the customer; Act means the Water and Sewerage Industry Act 2008 ; billing period, in relation to a customer, means the period (which may be recurrent) in respect of which an account may be issued by a regulated entity to the customer; customer charter means a customer charter referred to in regulation 4 ; fee includes – (a) a one-off fee or charge; and (b) a volumetric charge; and (c) a fee that is payable periodically; and (d) a scale of fees or charges; and (e) an amount of money determined using a method of calculation or by application of a policy; meter reading, in relation to a device used for the measurement of a regulated service, means – (a) a reading of the flow of water to, or the flow of sewage from, a property; or (b) an estimate made by the regulated entity of the flow of water to, or the flow of sewage from, a property that is based on a reading of the meter at the property for an equivalent period of time; or (c) an estimate made by the regulated entity of the flow of water to, or the flow of sewage from, a property that is based on a reading of a meter for a comparable property for an equivalent period of time; payment plan means a payment plan referred to in regulation 26 ; planned interruption, in relation to a property, means an interruption to the provision of a regulated service to the property that is necessary in order to maintain, augment or upgrade infrastructure; special meter reading, in relation to a water meter that is used for the purposes of a regulated entity, means a reading of the water meter by the regulated entity at a time other than the end of the period at which the meter would usually be read; special needs customers means – (a) customers of a regulated entity who require the services of a dialysis machine at properties to which a regulated service is provided by the regulated entity; or (b) customers of a regulated entity who are determined by the regulated entity to have special requirements, because of a medical condition of the customers or persons to whom services are provided by the customers, in respect of the provision by the regulated entity of a regulated service; or (c) customers of a regulated entity in relation to whom a determination under subregulation (2) applies; unplanned interruption, in relation to a property, means an interruption to the provision of a regulated service to the property that – (a) is not caused by the regulated entity; or (b) is necessitated by an event beyond the regulated entity's control. (2) For the purposes of these regulations, the Regulator may determine – (a) that a class of persons are special needs customers because of a medical condition suffered by the persons or persons to whom services are provided by the customers; and (b) the special requirements of the class of persons who are special needs customers; and (c) that a regulated entity is required to specify in a customer service code the special requirements of the class of persons who are special needs customers.