The campaign by TasWater and LGAT against the Hodgman Liberal Government’s plan for cheaper water and sewerage prices and a quicker fix for the infrastructure is springing leaks at every connection.
The Councils can’t even agree on how to run a campaign against the Government’s fair and common sense proposal, let alone manage TasWater.
Brighton Mayor Tony Foster has been leading the campaign but it now appears his council has turned and refused to contribute to the fighting fund, and are opting to go it alone.
Meanwhile other Councils around the State are also sensibly refusing to contribute to the campaign and waste more ratepayers’ money.
By taking over TasWater the Tasmanian Government will be able to keep water and sewerage prices lower and update failing sewerage infrastructure faster.
This infrastructure is owned by all Tasmanians - not mayors, councillors or TasWater – and, according to the independent Economic Regulator is ``deteriorating faster than it can be replaced.’’
The Government’s Plan will also protect Tasmanians from spiralling price increases by capping prices to increases of no more than 3.5 percent saving households up to $550 over six years.
TasWater and Councils are wrong to think it is okay to spend another 10 years to fix Tasmania’s ailing water and sewerage infrastructure. With 25 towns on boil water or do not consume alerts, sewage spills seven times the national average and having only one of 78 sewerage treatment plants compliant with EPA standards too little has been dome for too long.
Tasmanians deserve decent water and sewerage infrastructure, and they deserve it faster and at a price that households can afford.
Councils and TasWater have had their chance and failed to deliver.
More Media Releases from Peter Gutwein
More Media Releases from the Minister for Planning and Local Government