The positive feedback I have received from a number of Mayors and elected Councillors and Aldermen about a potential Tasmanian Government takeover of TasWater is welcome.
In particular, I note the positive and constructive comments of Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey, and Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten.*
I want to reiterate: this isn’t about having a fight with local government; it certainly isn’t about amalgamations; it is quite simply about improving Tasmania’s water and sewerage.
25 towns on boil water or do not consume alerts, and sewerage spills seven times the national average just isn’t good enough.
Were the Tasmanian Government to own TasWater this would enable us to use the strength of our balance sheet to reduce the current 10-year upgrade timetable to potentially 5-6 years.
However, as I have said, no final decision has been made and obviously were this to go ahead, we would ensure its done in a way which takes into account the needs of Councils and their ratepayers.
I look forward to receiving further feedback from Councils, and other community stakeholders, with a view to making a decision as soon as possible.
* Lord Mayor Sue Hickey: “I think it’s a real positive and I also actually support it” ABC TV News 25/2/17
* Lord Mayor Albert van Zetten: “If that means that councils would take some pain then I believe we’d be willing to do that. Now I’ve got to speak to aldermen and have discussions, but I would be more than willing to have that pain so that we can get the gain down the track” SX TV News 25/2/17