Water Industry Act 2012

The Consumer Advocacy and Research Fund is established.

The Fund must be kept as directed by the

The Fund consists of—

the amount of $250 000 (indexed) paid into the Fund on an annual basis (at a time determined by the Treasurer) from the total amount of annual licence fees payable under section 24 attributable to designated prescribed costs in any particular financial year; and

any money provided by Parliament for the purposes of the Fund;

any income arising from investment of the Fund under subsection (4); and

any additional money that is paid into the Fund under a determination of the Treasurer; and

any other money that is required or authorised by another law to be paid into the Fund.

The Fund may be invested as approved by the

The Minister may apply the Fund—

to support research or advocacy that promotes the interests of consumers with a disability, low‑income consumers, or consumers who are located within a regional area of the State; or

to support projects that advance the interests of consumers from an advocacy perspective; or

in making any other payment required by another law to be made from the Fund; or

in payment of the expenses of administering the Fund.

The administrative unit of the Public Service that is, under the

A report under subsection (6) may be incorporated into the annual report of the relevant administrative unit.

The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be laid before both

The amount of $250 000 (indexed) referred to in subsection (3)(a) is to be adjusted on 1 July of each year (commencing on 1 July 2013) by multiplying that amount by a proportion obtained by dividing the Consumer Price Index for the immediately preceding March quarter by the Consumer Price Index for the March quarter, 2011.

In this section—