NSW ombudsman investigating WaterNSW over misleading data

Exclusive: Watchdog's new report will say agency's prosecutions and compliance statistics were seriously overstated

The New South Wales ombudsman is investigating whether WaterNSW - the body responsible for compliance with the state's water laws - has misled it when it provided data last year on the number of prosecutions and enforcement actions it had taken in the 15 months prior.

The ombudsman confirmed a second special report will be tabled in the first week of March, but declined to outline its contents. Special reports are a last resort when the ombudsman deems that a report to the minister is insufficient.