It appears that a majority of Hobart residents are deeply concerned about the current hasty and expensive water meter rollout in Southern Tasmania by the monopoly water company, Southern Water and the resultant seismic shift (sadly approved by State Parliament) from considering water as a service to the community to characterise water as a commodity to trade and make money.
The concept that abundant water has made our city a great place to be is worth considering. Rich or poor, small dwelling or large, abundant water in Hobart enables an equity rare in today’s world and to take that away that service without a proper consensus in the community speaks volumes about the reduction in social and economic rights happening right in our city.
Interestingly four concepts equity, user pays, environment and financial sustainability were used by the current Government to drive the (so called) reforms of water and sewerage..
Equity and user pays
The equity principle could be a strong one but it depends on how it is framed. It seems reasonable at first glance that the more water you use, the more you should pay. That argument significantly only makes real sense in our mainland cities where there is a shortage of water.
The lack of transparency has also been outrageous. Two part pricing will be introduced in 2012. Many assume (probably rightly) that the first part, the fixed charge will be much greater than the volumetric charge and hence residents will have little control over their final water bill in any event. In the case that the volumetric charges will be significant then the income generated by water meters could quite rightly be charactered as a poll tax in that situation as more revenue will be generated depending on the number of people living at the dwelling.. History has not been kind to those that impose poll taxes.
The plan to have one meter per titled property even when there are multi dwellings or flats will generate more inequity. These issues raises more fundamental questions…
Environmental consequences
The consequences of unnecessarily reducing our water usage to our urban environment, in my view, will be to brown and not green our city. And in doing so will destroy many lovely gardens including the vegetable patch and change the look and feel of our city for residents and visitors. Our bushland suburbs may become more bushfire prone. Recall Brighton in the summers before meters were installed– the green gardens then are now gone.
Financial
Southern Water’s brief is to raise more revenue. Councils were not generating enough revenue from their ratepayers according to the State Treasurer at the time. The councils should have been making 8% or 9% per annum on their water and sewage asset base.
Hobart City Council, to its credit objected loudly but to no avail. It is also very clear that larger inner city property owners also had a significant influence on Government policy – so there will be no doubt that a dramatic cost shift will happen from commercial to residential owners
There is no doubt there will be a massive water rate increase for all Hobart residents. The generated flow of money will leave Hobart ratepayers and be used to fund the expensive and inefficient corporate structure and rural water and sewerage projects. Ironically, initially, the $30 million plus rollout of meters will delay significantly the upgrades in the small rural towns.
The elephant in the mix is of course that the corporate structure of Southern Water enables, possibly not at the moment but a later date when the state cries poverty, to be sold to the private sector. The recent history of selling off government services in Australia is not a happy one. The electricity debacle in NSW and railways in Queensland to name a couple good recent examples.
People’s voice
Finally should or could residents takes reasonable steps to stop or delay the expensive and the unnecessary water meter project juggernaut to enable the community to engage in a detailed rational and informed debate. I like to think people in a democratic society could and should. By making their voice heard to our current minority Government that rules, one would hope sincerely they may listen and act. The Liberal Opposition recently have indicated a position that they wish the roll out of the water meters to be delayed until information about the cost and pricing is made available which is encouraging.
To conclude the residences of Hobart and the other southern cities have never needed water meters due to the abundance of water and their own council’s significant investment in water and sewerage infrastructure within and outside their own boundaries and their own cost benefit studies that show no net benefit to the residents. It time that the Government stopped and listened to the voice of the people.
Post script
Belatedly on Thursday February 3 at the Grand Chancellor in Hobart there will be an “invitation only” forums run by Southern Water for local Councillors (at 9 AM) and “Community Leaders” (at 3.30 PM) . The invitation is headed “The Case for Water Meters”. And where is the case provided against water meters? And the few words here could never do justice to that case.
Danielle McKay, Mercury
THE Hobart City Council is preparing to mount legal action against the State Government and Southern Water in a bid to halt the controversial water meter rollout.
After heated debate, council last night supported a report into possibly taking out an injunction to stop the installation until the council conducts a public poll.
The man behind lobby group Residents Against Water Meters, Alderman Jeff Briscoe, was surprised by the uncontested support for his motion.
Aid Briscoe said the council was powerless against the State Government and Southern Water’s combined water meter rollout, a sentiment which was overwhelmingly echoed last night.
He said he disputed the water corporation’s claim that 67 per cent of respondents to a survey conducted last year supported water meters.
“There has been no proper public debate before this has been enforced,” he said.
About 62,000 southern Tasmanian homes would have water meters installed and 26,000 would have their old ones replaced within two years as part of Southern Water’s user-pays project.
Aid Marti Zucco slammed the rollout.
“I don’t trust the Government, I don’t trust Southern Water,” he said.
“As we can see time and time again, they have stuffed everything up.”
He then moved the motion for a report into seeking legal advice about an injunction against any action to install meters in Hobart until after a poll had been conducted and council and its constituents had more information. “We must protect the ratepayers of Hobart,” he said.
Aid Ron Christie strongly supported Aid Briscoe’s push, saying he did not want to follow the rest of the state “like sheep”.
“I don’t care about the rest of Tasmania, I’m elected to represent the people of Hobart,” he said. “We need to ask them do they or don’t they want water meters.”
Hobart Lord Mayor Rob Valentine said the council needed to know whether a tender to install the water meters throughout Hobart had been signed.
“If it has not been signed, we want answers first,” he said.
He said not having meters installed could give Hobart a “competitive edge” which could help lure families and businesses to the city.
Council members are set to meet Southern Water on February 8.
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