Ten years ago pretty much no one in the community had heard of PPP's or Public Private Partnerships, and even if they had heard of them they were explained as making the cost of providing services cheaper.
That being said, how many of you have already received your new water bill?
Exactly, and how many reckon that the bill seems very high, well I do so I asked some questions by email and it took over a week to get a reply.
I have to say I was mad as a meataxe when I found that after trying to call all day I couldn't get through to talk to someone and also that after a week it came as a surprise that they had actually replied.
The thing is that the water charge is a small part of the bill, there is an infrastructure charge, a service charge and some other fees (which I had assumed would have been well and truly paid for) as well as the charge for the water used.
Pay as you use is a simple concept, and no one minds paying their fair share, but in my opinion when there is no choice, and in the case of water supply there is no choice then the charges are in effect holding us to ransom for water, there is no avoiding the charge even if you do not use any water, and they can charge whatever they like, and they now claim to be a private company and beyond question on it and state that you just need to pay up by the due date, you have no choice, and yes you can be sold up for eventual and continual non payment.
The thing is that Our State Government has discovered a money pit, and to make the whole process unquestionable they have created a PPP to protect their money grabbing and keep prying eyes out of the real details of how it works even with FOI's.
Think of how many homes are connected to water, and how much the minimum charge is and do the sums, that is a ship load of money.
One of the questions I asked was; " can I sell my rainwater back to you?" and "can I sell my rainwater to my neighbours cheaper than you charge for it" the answer to both was a predictable no because there is no choice and no choice allowed.
I also asked "how can I get in on the action?" answer: you can't, . . I mean seriously I'd love to buy in I reckon at the charges they are billing us it might be the only way I can afford to ever drink, shower, launder or cook any more, plus it will be hugely profitable, a licence to print money.
I'm really dirty on the charges, I think they are too much and I wonder about renters who live in houses owned by landlords and how they will pay, because if a landlord has half a dozen homes and the bill comes in at $200 at each residence that's a bill he probably can't absorb and will have to raise the rent to pay for, (almost $20 a week)
There are already rumblings from workers in Urban Utilities and Unity water about how they have been dumped by councils whom many have worked for over a long period of time, and expected to continue on without the usual council support behind them, e.g. the bitumen patch up crew, concrete cutters and excavation crews, not to mention planning departments to let them know exactly where services are located etc.
This is just a ripoff, and another State Government charge set to punish working families in our part of the world, and slug them with another bill they don't need or want.
Meanwhile as we pay for Bligh and Fraser's arrogant display against a citizen who subsequently brought the matter to court, they punish us with another greedy cash grab out of our wallets and purses.
