REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULETIN Saturday, January 29, 2011

ANGRY Gold Coast ratepayers threatened a water revolution with many boldly declaring they would not pay their water bills as the furore over increased prices escalated.

Hundreds of residents bombarded the Bulletin with text messages, phone calls and online comments after receiving their bills while scores more took to Facebook to vent their frustrations.

It was the first time residents have been billed under the council-owned Allconnex Water entity and for many, that meant a price rise of 20 per cent as water access and consumption charges jumped.

Burleigh Waters woman Bernadette McKeachie said she had already conveyed her disgust to Allconnex.

“I believe this is theft by deception and when I said that (to Allconnex) they thought I was a lawyer. I told them that not every ratepayer is an idiot,” she said.

“I have told Allconnex that I won’t be paying until they can provide paperwork showing a breakdown of these charges.

“It is like they are pulling the numbers out of the air.

‘”I am happy to pay for the water that I have used but $300 for a waste water connection and $96 for water access?”

Ms McKeachie urged other residents to take a similar stance, saying there was power in numbers. “I am urging everyone to bombard them with complaints because this is highway robbery,” she said.

It appeared Ms McKeachie is not alone, with 71 per cent of 143 respondents to an online poll on goldcoast.com.au indicating they would not be paying.