92Water charge rules

92  Water charge rules

 (1) The Minister may make rules (to be called water charge rules), applying in Basin States that are referring States and in the Australian Capital Territory, that:

 (a) relate to regulated water charges; and

 (b) deal with one or more of the matters referred to in subsection (3); and

 (c) contribute to achieving the Basin water charging objectives and principles set out in Schedule 2.

 (2) Water charge rules are legislative instruments.

 (3) Water charge rules may deal with the following matters:

 (a) the rules that must be applied in determining the amount of:

 (i) regulated water charges generally; or

 (ii) regulated water charges of a particular kind;

 (b) the terms and conditions that may, or must not, be imposed in relation to:

 (i) regulated water charges generally; or

 (ii) regulated water charges of a particular kind;

 (c) the determination, or approval, by the ACCC of regulated water charges;

 (d) the process to be followed in applying for, and making or giving, determinations or approvals of the kind referred to in paragraph (c);

 (e) the accreditation by the ACCC of arrangements under which regulated water charges are determined or approved by agencies of the States (instead of by the ACCC);

 (f) the process to be followed in applying for, and making or giving, accreditation of the kind referred to in paragraph (e);

 (g) the terms and conditions on which arrangements are accredited under rules made for the purposes of paragraph (e) (including the determination of some or all of those terms and conditions by the ACCC);

 (h) the obligations to be imposed in relation to the accreditation of arrangements under rules made for the purposes of paragraph (e) (including the determination of some or all of those obligations by the ACCC);

 (i) the prohibition of regulated water charges of a particular kind in the circumstances specified in the rules;

 (j) the imposition of a requirement on the person determining the amount of regulated water charges to publish:

 (i) the details of the charges; and

 (ii) the process for determining the amount of the charges;

 (k) transitional arrangements for the introduction of, or changes to, water charge rules;

 (l) any matter that was dealt with in:

 (i) paragraph 15(3)(c) of Schedule E to the former MDB Agreement; or

 (ii) the Access and Exit Fees Protocol to the former MDB Agreement made under paragraph 6(1)(f) of Schedule E to the former MDB Agreement.