电费涨完 水费涨 ！塔州人民伤不起

Water bills to rise $100

TASMANIAN householders face water and sewerage price rises of up to $100 a year for the next three years under plans revealed yesterday.

The Tasmanian Economic Regulator released its draft pricing determinations for public comment.

Typical annual bills in southern Tasmania using 200 kilolitres are likely rise about 5 per cent a year from around $942 a year in 2012-13 to $992 in 2013-14 and $1046 in 2014-15.

Customers currently paying below those amounts will have their fixed charges progressively increased by $50 per water and $50 per sewerage service each year or 10 per cent, whichever is greater. Those paying more will see their bills frozen until 2013/14. Customers in some regional areas face steeper rises.

TER chair Glenn Appleyard said despite a need to increase revenues to support capital works, price rises would be as gradual as could be managed.

"The extent of the variations in previous pricing arrangements; the level of revenue under-recovery inherited from councils; and the legislative requirements placed on the regulator, means the proposed approach to price regulation and reform will be based on capping annual increases in prices, to minimise price shocks for customers," he said.

Premier Lara Giddings said long-term neglect of water and sewerage infrastructure by many councils was the reason water charges had to rise.

"Let's not forget the reason why we're having price increases in water and sewerage is because councils underfunded or underinvested by the tune of $1 billion in water and sewerage infrastructure," she said.

"That's why we had raw sewerage coming out of pipes at Salamanca Place and why we had communities like Swansea and Cressy unable to drink the water from taps.

"Obviously any price rise whether it is electricity or water and sewerage has an impact on the household budget.

"That's why we've made cost of living issues a number one priority alongside trying to create more jobs."

Liberal treasury spokesman Peter Gutwein said merging the state's council-owned water corporations would reduce waste and help keep a lid on price rises.

"The draft water and sewerage price determination makes the case for merging the four water and sewerage corporations into one and passing on the anticipated saving of $20 million over four years back to Tasmanians," he said.

"A more efficient model is needed and this should be the wake-up call the Green-Labor Government and the local government owners of these corporations need to get on board with the Liberals' policy of an efficient one-corporation model."

http://www.themercury.com.au/art ... _tasmania-news.html