❓ A parliamentary question regarding the introduction of fees for groundwater bores in Western Australia. The Minister's response indicates a cautious approach, pending advice from committees and national agreements.
AnsweredQoN 1095Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WATER RESOURCES - GROUND WATER BORES LICENCE FEE
I refer to an article in The West Australian of 9 November about community concerns that the minister is considering charging an annual licence fee for ground water bores. (1) Why has the minister chosen to cover only the cost of administering the system through these fees? (2) Why has the minister chosen to not cover the cost of resource management? (3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE
I refer to an article in The West Australian of 9 November about community concerns that the minister is considering charging an annual licence fee for ground water bores. (1) Why has the minister chosen to cover only the cost of administering the system through these fees? (2) Why has the minister chosen to not cover the cost of resource management? (3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(1) Why has the minister chosen to cover only the cost of administering the system through these fees? (2) Why has the minister chosen to not cover the cost of resource management? (3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(2) Why has the minister chosen to not cover the cost of resource management? (3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(1) Why has the minister chosen to cover only the cost of administering the system through these fees? (2) Why has the minister chosen to not cover the cost of resource management? (3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(2) Why has the minister chosen to not cover the cost of resource management? (3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(3) Why has the minister chosen to wait for national agreement between the states before applying any form of volumetric charge? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
(1)-(3) In its response to the final report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee, the government indicated that it was appropriate to recover a realistic level of costs associated with water resource management. At a minimum, this should include the recovery of the costs to administer bore-water licences. The government is therefore currently waiting for the final advice of the Water Reform Implementation Committee before determining the structure of any water licence administration fee that might be introduced. The state government is also participating in a committee convened by the National Water Commission that is developing nationally agreed principles on consistent approaches to pricing, and attributing costs of water planning and management. As a signatory to the National Water Initiative, it would be inappropriate for the state government to proceed with any additional water resource management charges while the issue is being considered nationally.
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