8 April 2015
Fast Facts
Water board appointments
Water board appointments under the previous Coalition Government balanced skills in sound governance financial management water industry experience and community connection.
The Coalition was committed to bringing together highly skilled professionals who could help water corporations deliver affordable and high quality water services to local communities.
Sacking these boards will create a dangerous vacuum of corporate knowledge and will bring the business of the water authorities to a grinding halt.
Desalination Plant as a water source
Daniel Andrews has today committed to using the expensive desalination plant as a water source as part of his government’s “positive new approach to water policy”.
Even when a zero water order is placed Labor’s desalination plant costs Melbourne water customers $1.8 million a day as a service charge.
If the desalination plant was used to supply 150 GL of water in 2015-16 Melbourne water customers would be slugged an additional $117 million on top of this $1.8 million a day service charge.
Labor’s legacy on water policy
Under Labor governments the water bills of Victorian households skyrocket.
Under Labor a typical Melbourne household saw water bills go from $500 to around $1200 because of white elephants like the north-south pipeline and the desalination plant.
Under the Liberal-National Coalition Melbourne family water bills were set to reduce by $400 over the next four years thanks to the Fairer Water Bills initiative.
Comments from Shadow Minister for Water Peter Walsh:
“Daniel Andrews is clearing the way to give jobs to his Labor mates by sacking Victoria’s 135 skilled professional and experienced water board members.
“This is a blatant politicisation of the state’s water boards.
“Water bills doubled the last time Labor was in government. The fear is that today’s announcement will lead to more Labor white elephants like the north-south pipeline and desalination plant and higher household water bills.”
