Power to conduct inquiries
(1) During the 5 year period ending on 31 December 2018, the Productivity Minister must, under paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , refer to the Productivity Commission for inquiry the matter of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Basin Plan and the water resource plans.
(2) During the subsequent 5 year period that occurs after the completion of the Commission's most recent inquiry under this section, the Productivity Minister must, under paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , refer to the Productivity Commission for inquiry the matter of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Basin Plan and the water resource plans.
Reports on inquiries etc.
(3) In referring the matter to the Productivity Commission for inquiry, the Productivity Minister must, under paragraph 11(1)(b) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , specify the 5 year period in which the referral occurs as the period within which the Productivity Commission must submit its report on the inquiry to the Productivity Minister.
Note: Under section 12 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , the Productivity Minister must cause a copy of the Productivity Commission's report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament.
(3A) Once the matter has been referred to the Productivity Commission for inquiry, the Chair of the Productivity Commission must establish a stakeholder working group in accordance with section 89.
(4) After submitting its report to the Productivity Minister and before a copy of the report is tabled in each House of the Parliament, the Productivity Commission must give a copy of the report to:
(a) the Authority; and
(b) the relevant State Minister for each of the Basin States.
Matters relating to industry, industry development and productivity
(5) For the purposes of paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , the matter mentioned in subsections (1) and (2) of this section is taken to be a matter relating to industry, industry development and productivity.