National Performance Report updates
2025-26 Handbook and Guidance
- National Performance Report Framework performance indicators and definitions handbook 2023 (V1.3)
- Guidance memo (2025-26 reporting year) for service providers with less than 10,000 connected properties
- Guidance memo (2025-26 reporting year) for service providers with more than 10,000 connected properties
- Guidance memo (2025-26 reporting year) for bulk water authorities
Ongoing value
The NPR framework has already been expanded and strengthened to provide greater clarity for decision-makers and consumers.
Key changes include:
- Revised performance indicators for water and wastewater service providers – ensuring they are nationally relevant and focused on core areas of performance
- Expanded data coverage to include a greater number of service providers (increasing from 86 to 300 reporting entities), including those serving less than 10,000 connected properties. This provides a more comprehensive national view of water and wastewater services beyond major population centres.
Urban Water Reform Committee
The Government's Urban Water Reform Committee has oversight of the changes to the NPR, on behalf of the National Water Reform Committee who own the framework, and has approved the:
- updated set of reporting indicators
- inclusion of entities with less than 10,000 connection properties that are captured under relevant regulations into the NPR framework, with the option for additional entities to opt in.
Background
In October 2020, the Bureau of Meteorology (Bureau), in conjunction with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and the National Performance Reporting (NPR) Technical Reference Group initiated a review of the NPR indicators. This followed a review of the NPR Framework that occurred in 2018."
The implementation project draws on outcomes of this review which included input from
- water utilities
- peak industry bodies
- water regulators
- Australian Local Government Association
- First Nations committees
- State/Territory representatives.
Feedback from the review demonstrated unambiguous support for the NPR framework, and that the performance data it collects is important and valued by a broad range of stakeholders. Key review findings were:
- The scope of the framework indicator set should focus on core areas of service provider performance and not be expanded to capture data of broader water sector performance.
- A requirement to align indicators with outcomes delivered by service providers through the adoption of updated outcome areas, reporting themes and subthemes.
- The adoption of a proposed new NPR indicator suite.
- The expansion of the NPR framework to all service providers, regardless of their number of connections.
- A requirement to update to the current NPR data quality and audit framework.
Further information
The Bureau has a collaborative approach with State/Territory agencies, through the Urban Water Reform Committee and the NPR technical Reference Group.
For more information contact your local State/Territory water agency or contact us.
