The Palaszczuk Labor Government today refused to cut water bills for South East Queenslanders.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said she was appalled that Labor defeated a motion in State Parliament calling on the Palaszczuk Government to use its power to reject massive water price hikes over the next three years for households in SEQ.
"The LNP understands that Queenslanders are struggling to make ends meet every week and we asked the Premier to use her power to stop water price rises," Ms Frecklington said.
"Before the last election Annastacia Palaszczuk promised Queenslanders their water bills wouldn’t increase.*
"Today the Premier all but confirmed she’d be breaking that promise, like so many others.
"South East Queenslanders are already suffering soaring power prices and now they’re set to be slugged $50 to $90 more for water – three to five times the rate of inflation."
The LNP motion stated:
"This House calls on the Palaszczuk Labor Government to rule out accepting the Queensland Competition Authority’s recommendation for an increase in water prices."
Shadow Natural Resources Minister Dale Last said Annastacia Palaszczuk had the power to reject the Queensland Competition Authority’s recommendations to increase SEQ water prices but refused to do so.
The Queensland Competition Authority’s Final Report for SEQ bulk water prices has recommended price increases of over:
"Queenslanders are still paying the price for Labor’s multi-billion dollar water grid fail that saw pipes built without dams and dams built without pipes," Mr Last said.
"Labor’s legacy has been a 400 per cent increase in bulk water prices over 10 years.
"It’s the same old story – Queenslanders always end up paying because of Labor’s incompetence and lack of planning."
