Kym Goodes, CEO, TasCOSS, says:
• While we applaud TasWater’s decision to invest profits on infrastructure, we are very concerned to hear the Chair, Miles Hampton, forecast a 30% increase in water and sewerage charges for Tasmanians.
• This increase in cost of living will hit Tasmanians living on low incomes hard, especially aged and disability pensioners.
• The cost of bringing water and sewerage infrastructure up to a standard that meets environmental and health obligations should not come out of household budgets.
• Years of neglect of Tasmanian water and sewerage infrastructure have got us to a point where local, State and Federal governments must work together to fund urgently needed maintenance and replacement.
Nic McBride
