WATER PRICING CHANGES AN IMPORTANT STEP BUT FUNDS WASTED ON DESALINATION

Friday, 02 September 2005 10:00

Total Environment Centre (TEC) Urban Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said, "Increasing the price per kilolitre of water and adopting a two tiered price structure for large users is crucial in providing a strong resource conservation signal. Revenue being directed to desalination, should however be directed toward sustainable options such as recycling, stormwater harvesting and rainwater tanks. It seems Sydney residents will be getting a taste of just how expensive this unsustainable desalination plant will be before so much as a brick or pipe has been laid".

"The $94 million dollars to be devoted to desalination could provide a major kick start to development of recycling for Sydney. Devoting these funds to desalination is a wasted opportunity", Mr Martin said.

TEC called on the NSW Opposition to support diverting these funds to recycling consistent with their recent support for recycling initiatives.

"The NSW Opposition now has an opportunity nail their colours to the mast on recycling. Their resistance to desalination needs to be backed by strongly supporting funding for developing recycling options", Mr Martin said.

TEC also welcomed recommendations by IPART to open some sectors of the water industry to competition as a way of promoting recycling and other innovative options.
"Sydney Water's abject failure to develop or promote recycling for many years has made the entry of other players into the market a necessity", Mr Martin said

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) confirmed the introduction of a two tiered residential price structure, with customers using more than 400 kilolitres per year paying a higher price for any water used above that mark. Prices for each kilolitre will be higher than anticipated in the draft determination in June due to increased scarcity resulting from the drought and early desalination plant expenses.
 

For further information

Contact
:
Leigh Martin - Urban Campaigner
Phone
:
61 2 9299 5599
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WWW
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http://www.tec.org.au/