Background
These four Corporations were formed in late 2008 as a result of significant reform of Tasmania's water industry, and commenced trading on 1 July, 2009. The three Regional Corporations (Ben Lomond Water, Cradle Mountain Water and Southern Water) were owned by local government councils within their respective regions. As the shared services business, Onstream was owned by the three Regional Corporations.
The three Regional Corporations managed the transfer of some $2 Billion in water and sewerage assets from the previous ownership by 29 councils, three bulk water authorities and some state government agencies with the transfer of some 615 staff.
Between 2009 and 30 June, 2013 the three Regional Corporations focused on:
- delivery of Compliance Implementation Plans agreed with industry's major regulators
- managed significant inherited and new capital works expenditure
- managed bulk and reticulated water and sewerage operations
- introduced a new billing system
- installed 54,000 water meters in southern Tasmania for the first time as well as others in unmetered areas of the state
- had their first Price and Service Plans approved by the Economic Regulator for the next three years
The move to a single corporation
In September 2011, the Board Chairman initiated discussions with owner councils about the potential benefits that could ensue from a single statewide water and sewerage corporation. After a series of reviews, council owners in all regions agreed to move to a single corporation that merged the current four corporations.
We are governed by the Corporations Act 2001 and commenced operations on 1 July 2013 following the merger of Ben Lomond Water, Cradle Mountain Water, Southern Water and Onstream in accordance with the Water and Sewerage Corporation Act 2012. From commencement, TasWater has been owned by Tasmania's 29 councils, with the State Government also becoming a shareholder in early 2019.