Disputes over the future of water management have broken out in both Queensland and New South Wales.
Plans for Local Governments to lose control of water in regional New South Wales are being strongly opposed by the New South Wales Shires Association. The Shires Association wants the Federal Government to reject the findings of a report by the National Water Commission.
The report’s section on Local Water Utilities argues that public health, the environment and basic levels of service in regional and rural areas were at risk from inadequate processes, skills shortages and poor pricing policies.The report recommends government and service provider reforms to the operation of Local Water Utilities in regional and rural areas arguing that councils don’t charge enough for their water.
The report titled Urban Water in Australia: Future Directions was released in early April arguing there is a real risk to the quality of water in regional and rural New South Wales.
President Bruce Miller said the findings were based on misleading data.
"We’re very disappointed that they haven’t even bothered to take notice of all of the reports of the regulators over the last couple of years of the performance of Local Government Water Utilities in NSW, which clearly show that they are delivering good levels of service," he said. "The intention is that we will meet with the Federal Government as soon as we possibly can.
In Queensland, Premier Anna Bligh argues she is ending the water blame game and will slash water bills with measures to force Local Governments to accept their responsibility for water pricing. The changes to the South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) Act 2009, will cap distribution and retail annual water and sewerage price increases to the CPI, which currently stands at 2.7 per cent.
In response, Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones has said the only way to solve the blame game over who is responsible for water pricing is for all councils to put on a united front and maintain unanimity.
Acting Executive Director of the Water Services Association of Australia, (WSAA) Adam Lovell said reform of regional Queensland and New South Wales urban water services was a priority issue. WSAA is the industry body that supports the Australian Urban Water Industry. He said the regionalisation of Victorian water utilities was largely a success story and Tasmania has shown its commitment to reform with three new utilities for the whole State.
"These reforms deliver economies of scale, sharing of resources, more efficient capital investment and the ability to attract skilled staff to an incredibly important part of the Australian economy," he said.
