TasWater crunch-time

Draft plan of Government’s takeover launched for comment

PREMIER Will Hodgman is confident the State Government’s draft legislation to take over TasWater will get through the Upper House.

And Treasurer Peter Gutwein has said once TasWater’s 10-year plan is sped up and halved by State Government ownership of the water and sewerage utility, then attention could turn to removing the wastewater plant at Macquarie Point and addressing Launceston’s failing sewerage and stormwater system.

Yesterday, Mr Hodgman and Mr Gutwein released the draft form of the Water and Sewerage Act 2017 — which would allow the Government to assume ownership of TasWater from July 1 next year — for public comment.

If passed by the Lower and Upper Houses in Parliament, the legislation will transfer all of the assets, liabilities, rights and employees of the water and sewerage utility into a new Government Business Enter- prise in an attempt to speed up planned infrastructure improvements in the state.

“There is a serious problem and we believe that there is an opportunity and responsibility to address it,” Mr Hodgman said.

“What this legislation will do, as a GBE, will establish an entity that will be responsible for managing our water and sewerage infrastructure and entrench some elements that should allay the concerns if there are any in the broader community about out motivations.”

Mr Gutwein said the legis- lation would lock in lower price rises than TasWater could have offered, would ensure that there could never be any privatisation of the business and would provide councils with their dividends secured until 2024-25 and after that 50 per cent on any profit from the GBE.

“That’s been presented councils,” he said.

“Tasmanians are getting sick and tired of local government being obstructionists for the sake of it on this issue.”

He said that once the 10year capital works plan for TasWater was accelerated to to within five years, attention could then turn to the state’s crumbling infrastructure.

“This is if you like stage one and there is a stage two,” he said. “Stage one is taking the 10 year TasWater plan and accelerating that within five years, post the takeover.

“Obviously the combined cycle services in Launceston and Macquarie Point, those projects will be considered as we move forward.”

Labor deputy leader Michelle O’Byrne said the Government was not listening to stakeholders on the takeover.

“I think most Tasmanians are a little tired of the gameplaying between the State Government and TasWater,” she said. “I think they just want some clarity.”

A TasWater spokeswoman said it welcomed the chance to finally see the legislation and would consider its contents.

Local Government Association of Tasmania chief executive Katrena Stephenson said LGAT would run its eyes over the legislation in coming days.

Property Council Tasmania executive director Brian Wightman encouraged LGAT to embrace the reform of water and sewerage in the state.