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$23,000 in gifts for water staff
DAMIEN BROWN
July 07, 2010 07:52am
THE state-owned water and sewerage corporations have splashed out on the first anniversary of the reforms.
They have rewarded their staff with watches and leather folders worth more than $23,000.
Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Corporations chairman Geoff Willis, who earns $135,000 a year to work just one day a week, confirmed yesterday that all water corporation staff had been given a $30 Chinese-made watch to congratulate them on the first year of operation.
The handout comes as Tasmanian households pay $100 a year more in water and sewerage costs since the reforms were introduced on July 1 last year.
The 680 Cradle Mountain, Ben Lomond and Southern Water employees were all rewarded with the watches.
The staff of 70 at the overarching OnStream body were rewarded with $50 leather compendium folders.
Mr Willis defended the move, saying it was a token of his appreciation for the staff's hard work during the tough transition stage.
Billions of dollars in water and sewerage assets were removed from the control of local councils and taken over by the three regional bodies.
"Many people [have been] 30, 40 years working with one council and then suddenly they're in a water company, so bringing all of that together and introducing the culture of service and commitment which we're aiming to do in the water companies, we thought it was timely just to mark the level of achievements," said Mr Willis, whose salary works out to $2600 a day.
He said the cost of the gifts was about $20,000 including $10,000 for the 340 Southern Water employees and $5000 each for the 160 Cradle Mountain staff and 180 Ben Lomond staff.
But in a joint statement the corporations said the expenditure was in contrast to the significant capital investment spent on water and sewerage infrastructure across the state in the past year.
That includes $14 million at Ben Lomond Water, $32 million for Southern Water and $18 million at Cradle Mountain Water.
But Liberal leader Will Hodgman said the gesture was a "waste of taxpayers' funds".
"It is staggering that taxpayers' money has been wasted on gifts for water and sewerage staff to commemorate the anniversary of the introduction of the water and sewerage debacle," Mr Hodgman said.
"As the cost of living skyrockets, the Labor-Green Government has taken a let-them-eat-cake approach, lavishing gifts on water and sewerage corporation staff while some Tasmanians wonder how they are going to pay for scheduled increases in water and sewerage bills."
He demanded to know the details of the "Christmas in July style rewards program".
"Surely, if there is money to lavish on watches for staff, then there is enough money to start reducing water and sewerage bills," Mr Hodgman said.
"When there are countless numbers of Tasmanians struggling to pay their water and sewerage bills, this is misguided and self-indulgent."
Deputy Premier Lara Giddings distanced the Government from the gifts.
"I would certainly question whether or not that was the best investment of taxpayers' or ratepayers' money," Ms Giddings told ABC-TV.
The statement from Southern Water CEO Mike Paine, Ben Lomond's Barry Cash and Cradle Mountain's Andrew Kneebone sought to justify the expenditure in a "challenging" and "tumultuous and stressful" year.
"Our first year of operation has been very challenging but we believe we have made a positive start to this important reform," the statement said.
"The majority of our staff transferred from councils and the bulk water authorities. It has been a tumultuous and stressful time, particularly for people transferring from long careers." |
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