WATER CORPORATION —
FIXED STANDPIPES
1012. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the Minister
for Water:
I refer to the Water Corporation's
implementation of a new management and billing structure from 1 July 2019 for
council-owned fixed standpipes.
(1) Is the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services aware that the Water Corporation now
requires all fire standpipes to be locked by local government in order that
there be no service or water-usage charges?
(2) The new
pricing structure is linked to the size of the standpipe; for example, under
the new billing structure the service fee on a 100-millimetre commercial
standpipe will increase from $207.87 per annum to $6 635.71 per annum. How does
the Water Corporation justify this astronomical increase to service charges on
commercial standpipes?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The Minister for Water has provided the following information.
(1)–(2) I
have asked the Water Corporation to consult further with the community and
provide me updated advice prior to introducing any changes to the charges for
standpipes.