O’Byrne fails on TasWater

David O’Byrne’s claims on TasWater are as laughable as they are wrong.
Under the MoU signed with TasWater and the owner council representative earlier this month, we have delivered a plan that will fix water and sewerage infrastructure sooner and keep prices for customers lower.
The Government will contribute $200 million in equity into TasWater to fix the infrastructure sooner.
Specifically, there will be no price rise at all in 2019-20. And after that, prices would increase by no more than 3.5 per cent, which is significantly lower than the 4-5% allowed for by the Economic Regulator.
Compare this to Labor’s so-called plan that would have seen superannuation funds invest in water and sewerage projects and delivered double digit price rises.
In fact, Mr O’Byrne obviously hasn’t even read the MoU as it clearly includes Launceston’s water and sewerage infrastructure and Macquarie Point, and it explains that TasWater and the Government will work together to fix them.
Cameron’s Bay is already progressing through an agreement between MONA and TasWater.
It’s another demonstration that Labor has no idea how to fix water and sewerage, no idea how to manage the state finances, and are only interested in throwing around shallow criticisms by complaining about everything.
Peter Gutwein, Treasurer