❓ Mr. Kelly questions the Treasurer about significant water charge increases despite Water Corporation profits and affordability concerns. The Treasurer denies water charges drive the surplus, citing cost recovery policies and rural water subsidies.
AnsweredQoN 449Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER
CORPORATION — WATER RATES
449. Mr D.J. KELLY to the
Treasurer:
I refer to the budget papers that reveal that the surpluses
in the years 2017–18 and 2018–19 rely on further increases in
water charges of over 18 per cent. How does the Treasurer justify such massive
increases in water charges when record numbers of Western Australians are
already struggling to pay their water bills and the Water Corporation is making
record profits?
CORPORATION — WATER RATES
449. Mr D.J. KELLY to the
Treasurer:
I refer to the budget papers that reveal that the surpluses
in the years 2017–18 and 2018–19 rely on further increases in
water charges of over 18 per cent. How does the Treasurer justify such massive
increases in water charges when record numbers of Western Australians are
already struggling to pay their water bills and the Water Corporation is making
record profits?
AnswerView source ↗
In the forward estimates, a quite substantial return to
surplus is forecast in 2018–19 to $2.2 billion, if I remember
correctly. This is largely due, of course, to the return of GST and efficiencies
driven in the public sector. Water rates will go up, and will depend on whether
they are for potable water or wastewater.
Mr D.J. Kelly : It
is all 18 per cent, Treasurer.
Dr M.D. NAHAN :
Again, I do not believe a thing the member says.
In the forward estimates, we are increasing water rates, and
we are keeping those within 100 per cent of cost recovery—that is the
policy. They will make a slim and small contribution to the revenue flow in
that period. To say that the surplus is driven by that is almost hallucinatory.
Just off the top of my head, the increases will contribute less than half a per
cent to the growth in revenue. We have committed to a policy of full cost
recovery for both potable water and wastewater in the metropolitan area. On top
of that, which the member did not mention, are the very large and growing
subsidies to rural water use, which are growing very rapidly and which dwarf
the funds that we get from the Water Corporation altogether from the
metropolitan area.
surplus is forecast in 2018–19 to $2.2 billion, if I remember
correctly. This is largely due, of course, to the return of GST and efficiencies
driven in the public sector. Water rates will go up, and will depend on whether
they are for potable water or wastewater.
Mr D.J. Kelly : It
is all 18 per cent, Treasurer.
Dr M.D. NAHAN :
Again, I do not believe a thing the member says.
In the forward estimates, we are increasing water rates, and
we are keeping those within 100 per cent of cost recovery—that is the
policy. They will make a slim and small contribution to the revenue flow in
that period. To say that the surplus is driven by that is almost hallucinatory.
Just off the top of my head, the increases will contribute less than half a per
cent to the growth in revenue. We have committed to a policy of full cost
recovery for both potable water and wastewater in the metropolitan area. On top
of that, which the member did not mention, are the very large and growing
subsidies to rural water use, which are growing very rapidly and which dwarf
the funds that we get from the Water Corporation altogether from the
metropolitan area.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.