Residents set to benefit from proposed bulk water price cuts

  • 2014-12-11
People from Slacks Creek in Queensland stand to benefit from a recent recommendation to drop the cost of bulk water.

The price reduction of 8.2 per cent for City of Logan residents was mooted in a recent draft report prepared by the Queensland Competition Authority.

The Committee Chairman of Roads and Infrastructure, Councillor Don Petersen, urged the Authority to go ahead with the price cuts, claiming bulk water pricing relief would be welcomed by residents.

He said those living in the area had been subject to higher water charges than neighbouring suburbs for far too long, and he would like the contribution made by Logan consumers towards the funding of water infrastructure to be recognised at the State level and a greater discount granted.

If the current recommendations are approved, residents could be saving on bulk water by 2015-16.

Cr Peterson advocated a larger discount to extend into 2017-18.

Higher bulk water charges had been introduced originally for Logan consumers as a result of the State Government setting what it deemed a common price. As the scheme was rolled out to other councils, the costs were trimmed.

The introduction of the ‘user pays’ scheme for water consumption was the subject of major flyer printing campaigns throughout the state.

If the recommendation is successfully introduced, the current forecast price for bulk water in 2017-18 would drop from $3.22 per kilolitre to $2.77/kilolitre across all south east Queensland councils except Noosa, Sunshine Coast, and Redland.