July 1, 2010

Help with Higher Water Bills

Moreton Bay Regional Council is helping to reduce the financial pressure of new water prices on the family budget. Mayor Allan Sutherland said council would pay half of Unitywaters increased access charges for water and sewerage in 2010/11, effective immediately. This is a special two year subsidy scheme for all water customers in the Moreton Bay region to help them adjust to the new pricing regime recently announced by Unitywater, Mayor Sutherland said. Council no longer sets prices for water and sewerage, thats Unitywaters job and I know the increase in charges they have announced will hit our community hard. Im prepared to do whatever I can to ease the financial burden on residents and businesses, thats why council is paying half the increase in water and sewerage access charges. Were giving the Moreton Bay region a fair go with the cost of one of lifes basic essentials. The Mayor said the two year subsidy was expected to cost $35 million and would be funded from amalgamation savings. In the first year of the subsidy, council will pay 50 percent of the difference between water and sewerage access charges in 2009/10 and 2010/11. "We have had our shoulder to the wheel these last years, eliminating duplication and making this new amalgamated council work for the community, Mayor Sutherland said. The end result is operational savings of about $25 million per year and now were giving some of it back to our community. Ultimately, this special subsidy is unsustainable in the longer term but I think it will give most people time to adjust to what amounts to the most significant reform to the delivery of water services in Queenslands history. "Sure, the cost of building water and sewerage infrastructure is incredibly expensive - but I will not sit by and watch my residents, who are already doing it tough, take another hit. This is a buffer for the family budget and small business.

From today (July 1, 2010) Unitywater will provide water and sewerage services across the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast regions. Unitywater is now responsible for issuing and the collection of separate quarterly accounts for water and sewerage. Moreton Bay Regional Councils special water subsidy will be deducted from Unitywaters accounts to be issued from late July. (ends)

Media contact: Robert Draycott, 0409 486 500 Darren Roberts, 0488 404 856.