WATER CORPORATION —
NON-PAYMENT
385. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to households having
difficulty in paying their water bills.
(1) Can the
minister provide monthly data for the period 1 July 2021 to May 2022 on how
many households had their water flow reduced to a trickle or disconnected due
to the non-payment of charges?
(2) For the same
period, on a monthly basis, how many households sought assistance with meeting
their payment obligations?
Hon DARREN
WEST replied:
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question. I provide the following
answer on behalf of the Minister for Regional Development.
(1)–(2) The Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for
Water from December 2013 to March 2017. During that time, water bills
more than doubled compared with the last five years under the McGowan
government. The average annual increase under those opposite was four times
greater than under this government.
I have a lovely table here and I seek
to have the information incorporated into Hansard.
[Leave
granted for the following material to be incorporated.]
|
MIA DAVIES AS WATER MINISTER
|
McGOWAN GOVERNMENT
|
WATER BILLS
|
↑ $288.19More Than Double Compared To 5
Years Under This Govt
|
↑ $116.88
|
% INCREASE
|
↑ 21.7%More Than 3 Times Compared To 5
Years Under This Govt
|
↑ 7.1%
|
AVERAGE ANNUAL INCREASE
|
↑ 5.4%More Than 4 Times Compared To 5
Years Under This Govt
|
↑ 1.4%
|
(1) There have been 263
restrictions applied to residential customers to date this financial year:
Period
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
Year total
|
2021/22
|
0
|
0
|
23
|
49
|
52
|
14
|
18
|
28
|
65
|
14
|
263
|
(2) There have been 76,616 new
Payment Plans made to date this financial year:
Period
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
Year total
|
2021/22
|
7,942
|
7,723
|
7,549
|
6,787
|
7,259
|
6,218
|
7,117
|
7,258
|
9,602
|
7,161
|
74,616
|
Note:
Figures for May 2022 will not be available until 1 June 2022