{"id":249976,"date":"2019-12-09T15:07:40","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T05:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=249976"},"modified":"2019-12-09T15:13:35","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T05:13:35","slug":"water-meter-slug-for-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/12\/09\/water-meter-slug-for-farmers\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Meter ‘Slug For Farmers’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 9, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The LNP claims the State Government is planning to slug farmers to install new water meters, while much of the State is in drought.<\/p>\n

The new meters – which could cost between $8000 and $100,000 each – are part of a proposal to strengthen non-urban water measurement.<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said it would be an extra cost imposed on farmers, many of whom don\u2019t have a drop of water for meters to read.<\/p>\n

\u201cFarmers have been blindsided by this heartless tax and many of them are already under financial strain,\u201d Mrs Frecklington said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFarmers are calling it the worst drought in living memory and they need more support, not another Labor tax.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlugging farmers up to $100,000 at a time like this shows just how out of touch Labor is with life in regional Queensland.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnastacia Palaszczuk needs to show some leadership and rule this out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shadow Minister for Natural Resources Dale Last said the LNP supported the sustainable use of water through a modern and accurate metering system, but the timing of the Labor\u2019s water meter tax would cruel farmers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe middle of a drought is not the time to be taxing farmers for water that some of them don\u2019t even have,\u201d Mr Last said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWater costs are high enough without another Labor tax.\u201d<\/p>\n

Submissions on the Rural Water Management Program close on December 13.<\/p>\n