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Annual water bills will hit $1000 in the coming year as Victorian households are forced to pay for the Brumby Government’s failed water policies.
Shadow Minister for Country Water Resources and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said Victorians would start to feel the cost of Labor’s incompetence when new water charges took effect tomorrow.
“Victorians will pay an average of $133 extra on their annual water bill this year to pay for the Wonthaggi desalination plant and the failed north-south pipeline,” Mr Walsh said.
“Despite the price hike there will be no increase in concession rates, making families, pensioners and low-income earners particularly vulnerable.
“The government has failed Victorians by ignoring the need to plan for the state’s long-term water supplies during the 10 years prior to the water crisis.
“Consumers are now being slugged for the panicked, ill-conceived water projects Labor announced as a result of its long-term failure to plan.
“The cost of water is going to continue to rise as more money is needed to repay the billions spent on the north-south pipeline and the Wonthaggi desalination plant.”
Mr Walsh said water customers would foot the bill for almost 90 per cent of the more than $5 billion the government promised to spend on water.
“Not surprisingly, John Brumby has made little mention of the fact that water customers are the ones paying for these projects,” Mr Walsh said.
“Worse still the Brumby Government doesn’t care that it has wasted $750 million on the north-south pipeline when it isn’t even needed.
“For months Melbourne has had enough water stored to last well beyond the completion of the Wonthaggi desalination plant.
“But Labor is using the pipeline to take water from drought-stricken food producing communities so it can reduce Melbourne’s water restrictions before the November election.
“Water customers are being forced to pay higher prices so John Brumby can promote his ‘action man’ image,” Mr Walsh said.