Our Water
Cost to Ratepayers
Burnie City Council continues to invest in its water and sewerage infrastructure as can be seen from the following table:
| 2006/07 | 2005/06 | 2004/05 | 3 Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Investment | Budget | Actual | Actual | Total |
| Water | 457,000 | 566,626 | 354,577 | 1,378,203 |
| Sewerage | 3,123,541 | 9,334,217 | 4,340,906 | 16,798,664 |
| Total | 3,580,541 | 9,900,843 | 4,695,483 | 18,176,867 |
Under the State Government's proposed reform this investment may be seized without any compensation.
Burnie also currently has one of the cheapest water systems to operate due to its gravity fed nature. Total operational costs (including depreciation) are indicated in the following table:
| 2006/07 | 2005/06 | 2004/05 | 3 Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operational Costs | Budget | Actual | Actual | Total |
| Water | 2,783,225 | 2,685,890 | 2,807,583 | 8,276,698 |
| Sewerage | 3,334,465 | 2,399,575 | 2,803,043 | 8,537,083 |
| Total | 6,117,690 | 5,085,465 | 5,610,626 | 16,813,781 |
These costs together with Stormwater and Catchment Management are paid for through the Integrated Services Rate, currently set at $575 for most households. This represents a significant portion of Council's business and gives Council the capacity to employ properly qualified engineers and other staff to undertake these and other services, such as waste and roads. With the removal of water and sewerage, Council will lose this capacity and/or it will have to transfer the residual costs to roads, waste and other Council essential services, pushing up the general rate.
Also, Burnie ratepayers would be expected to contribute to other councils' new water and sewerage infrastructure through a the water and sewerage charge from a new body. It's a lose - lose for Burnie and its ratepayers!
