The Andrews Labor Government will milk water customers for everything they are worth next year, taking an extra $110 million in dividends from Melbourne water customers. Daniel Andrews could choose to drive down the cost-of-living and use this money to lower water bills, but instead dividends paid by customers will increase 156 per cent, compared to last year.
Customers of South East Water will feel the greatest pain, with dividends set to increase by 150 per cent from $56 million this year to a whopping $140 million next year.
Yarra Valley Water customers are being slugged $77 million, up from $34 million this year or 126.5 per cent. City West Water customers will pay $68 million – a 161.5 per cent increase – up from $26 million this year.
Instead of driving down water bills, Daniel Andrews is driving them up to cover up his poor economic management.
Labor is also using $157 million from the Environmental Contribution Levy, paid through customers’ water bills, while funding just $9 million in new initiatives.
Comments to be attributed to Shadow Water Minister Steph Ryan
“Daniel Andrews is using water customers as a cash cow.”
“This money could be used to drive down the cost-of-living by lowering customers’ bills or it could be invested to future-proof our water supply system against population growth or climate change, but instead Labor’s taxing water customers to mask its poor economic management.
“If Daniel Andrews believes Melbourne’s water authorities can give up so much cash, he should be slashing water bills instead of using hardworking families to prop up his budget.
“This is just another example that when Labor runs out of money, they’ll come after yours.”