Under the Water Act 2000, the Commission’s guiding principles are to:

• Manage water on a sustainable and integrated basis to provide secure and reliable supplies for all uses;
• Ensure scarce water resources are shared on a regional basis;
• Manage water from its source to its end-use, to ensure the health of catchments, aquifers and their ecosystems;
• Deliver water of the desired quality at the lowest overall cost;
• Maximise efficient and cost-effective service delivery;
• Share the cost of water sources among users;
• Consider environmental, social and economic factors when assessing regional water supply and include ‘least-cost-planning’ to ensure proper economic comparison of options;
• Use water restrictions to ensure sustainable and secure water supplies for the region; and
• Consider flood mitigation and dam safety when assessing options for regional water supply.