Seqwater and Sunwater irrigation pricing

The Queensland Government sets the price of irrigation water supplied by Seqwater in South-East Queensland and Sunwater elsewhere in Queensland.

In setting irrigation prices, we seek to strike a balance between:

  • cost recovery for the services provided
  • impacts on customers
  • keeping prices as simple and transparent as possible.

This content provides information on current irrigation prices and explains how prices are set.

Irrigation prices for 2023–25

The prices for 2023–24 and 2024–25 are in the Queensland Government Gazette that was published on 31 March 2023. The Gazette lists the price and the 15% discount to be applied.

Discounts

A 15% discount applies to irrigation prices for water supply schemes owned by Sunwater and Seqwater in 2023–24 and 2024–25

Irrigators automatically receive the 15% discount through the prices used by Sunwater and Seqwater to calculate your bills.

The Horticulture Irrigation Pricing Rebate Scheme administered and assessed by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) is now closed. The scheme provided an additional 35% rebate to irrigation charges related to horticulture crops for the 3 years from 2021–22 to 2023–24.

Sunwater customers

View Sunwater's full schedule of fees and charges for each water scheme.

Seqwater customers

View Seqwater's full schedule of fees and charges for each water scheme (PDF, 461KB).

Irrigation prices for 2025–27

The Queensland Government accepted the independent Queensland Competition Authority's recommended prices for 2025–26 and 2026–27 and will continue the 15% discount for eligible irrigators.

Discount

From 2025–26, the 15% discount will only be available for certified small or family run businesses which irrigate and rely on primary production income.

How irrigation prices are set

Prices are set following a review process involving the state's independent regulator, the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA). Reviews generally cover a 4–5 year period.

For its reviews, the QCA undertakes comprehensive analysis and consults widely to provide advice on key issues and the amount of prudent (i.e. necessary) and efficient costs to be recovered in prices.

The QCA then recommends prices to the government, which makes the final decision on prices. The recommendations must be consistent with pricing policies specified by the government.

Read details of the QCA's recommendations for Seqwater and Sunwater irrigation prices for 2024–25 to 2028–29. This review was finalised in January 2025.

Irrigation prices beyond 2026–27

Beyond 2026–27 the irrigation prices set by the government will only apply to Sunwater and Seqwater customers who have been certified as eligible.

We are setting prices for just 2 years (2025–26 and 2026–27) to allow time for a targeted review by the QCA to provide advice on potentially using a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) approach to pricing.

This advice will be considered before the government sets prices to apply from 1 July 2027.

Pricing policies

The government's key policy, known as 'lower bound' pricing, is generally for prices to move towards recovering the irrigation share of the scheme's operating, maintenance and refurbishment costs, but not any share of the initial costs of building any assets constructed before 2000 or any share of dam safety upgrade costs.

The government provides a subsidy known as a community service obligation (CSO) payment to Seqwater and Sunwater from the Queensland budget when prices are set below the level necessary for Seqwater and Sunwater to meet the operating, maintenance and refurbishment costs to supply water for irrigation.

Read about CSOs in the Budget 2023-24 Strategy outlook (PDF, 3.4MB). Appenidx A lists all government concessions. Details of the irrigation concessions are on page 216.

Your water bill

Your water bill from Seqwater or Sunwater for irrigation water includes 2 types of prices:

  • fixed prices – Part A and Part C (if applicable) based on the amount of allocation you hold
  • volumetric prices – Part B and Part D (if applicable) based on the amount of water you use.

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