{"id":276569,"date":"2020-09-16T22:48:03","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T12:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=276569"},"modified":"2020-09-17T22:15:23","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T12:15:23","slug":"standpipe-prices-trimmed-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/09\/16\/standpipe-prices-trimmed-for-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Standpipe Prices Trimmed … For Now"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto, right, spent 12 hours at the weekend getting the opinions of standpipe users about the South Burnett Regional Council’s water pricing before Wednesday’s Council meeting (Photo: Facebook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Cr Kathy Duff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 16, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council will reduce its standpipe water prices from $10 to $6 per kilolitre for potable water – and $5 per kilolitre for non-potable water – until December 31.<\/p>\n

The concession was made after an epic multi-hour debate at Wednesday’s Council meeting, sparked by a proposal from Cr Kathy Duff to reduce the price to $4.50 per kilolitre for potable water and $4 per kilolitre for non-potable water until the region’s drought declaration is lifted.<\/p>\n

The renewed debate over standpipe water pricing followed a sustained public campaign after the cost was more than doubled – from\u00a0$4.10 to $10 per kilolitre – at Council’s June meeting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cr Duff, the only person to vote against the price rise in June, said the region was in the grip of one of its worst droughts in decades, and it was time for Council to show care and compassion for residents whose tanks had run dry.<\/p>\n

Cr Duff’s motion to reduce the price to $4.50 was supported by Mayor Brett Otto and Cr Kirstie Schumacher but was defeated 4-3 when Crs Roz Frohloff, Gavin Jones, Danita Potter and Scott Henschen opposed it.<\/p>\n

Cr Roz Frohloff then moved that the price be dropped to $7 for the remainder of this financial year, but raised back to $10 on July 1 next year with a percentage increase thereafter.<\/p>\n

This provoked more debate.<\/p>\n

“At these prices, we are well outside of what I think is fair and reasonable to the most vulnerable,” Mayor Otto said.<\/p>\n

He said Unity Water, a commercial water provider, was only charging $4.46.<\/p>\n

“I don’t understand why we are charging $7. I feel it is certainly going to put people under pressure,” he said.<\/p>\n

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Mayor Brett Otto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He said at $7, a mum with four children using standpipe water would pay almost $1200 extra than the same person on town water.<\/strong><\/p>\n

More discussion ensued and Cr Frohloff’s motion was defeated unanimously.<\/p>\n

A related motion – submitted prior to the meeting by Cr Duff – was then brought forward for debate.<\/p>\n

This proposed to return the price to its original $4.10 per kilolitre level until Council’s infrastructure team undertook a full review of standpipe charges across the region and reported back to Council.<\/p>\n

At this point, CEO Mark Pitt warned that if this motion was lost, the status quo – ie. $10\/kl – would remain.<\/p>\n

Councillors seemed to be agreeing the cost should be lowered but the amount and duration of the reduction – and whether the price should be $4.10, $4.50, $5 or $6 – became the topic of another lengthy debate and amendments.<\/p>\n

Cr Duff said she was begging her fellow councillors to show some compassion, some empathy for the community.<\/p>\n

Mayor Otto agreed, saying it was an opportunity to get things right and support the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

“I plead with you to support this resolution,” he said.<\/p>\n

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Cr Gavin Jones<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More discussion followed, with Cr Jones saying he “was over” the issue and the $4.10 figure would “become irrelevant” after the review because Council was a business and had to be sustainable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I take offence at people in the community who say we do not listen, we do not work for the people. That is the most outrageous statement … there’s been some treatment dished out to councillors. I’m a public figure. Give it to me, I don’t care. But there are some things out there that are hard to cop,” Cr Jones said.<\/p>\n

He said “sheer frustration” rather than emotional comments “pulling at heartstrings” had brought him to the point of accepting a three-month price reduction.<\/p>\n

However, Cr Jones moved an amendment – seconded by Cr Frohloff – that Council charge $6\/kl for potable water and $5\/kl for non-potable water until December 31.<\/p>\n

At this time, Councillors would be presented with a detailed cost analysis and could then vote on a more permanent standpipe water price when they were in full possession of the facts.<\/p>\n

The amended motion was passed by the same 4-3 vote which defeated the first motion at the meeting.<\/p>\n

A video recording of the meeting is expected to be posted on Council’s website<\/a> during the next few days.<\/strong><\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

During the course of the discussions, it emerged that:<\/strong><\/p>\n