Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Water Pricing Water Pricing The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council Water Pricing The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:32): A supplementary question: can the minister advise whether this is covered by ESCOSA's current pricing inquiry? The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Water Pricing The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:32): No, I can't but what I can say is that this government is committed to providing postage stamp prices across the state for water charges in particular, which of course means that metropolitan customers are cross-subsidising country customers. We believe that is fair, in the same way we believe that the sewerage rates in the country need to come up to some sort of equivalence with the metropolitan area so that people are paying the same. People in the country are paying less currently for their sewerage than they are in the city, and again I say that is because of the sewerage prices being based on property prices. By leave of the house I need to correct myself. I said that country customers are paying 11 per cent less than city customers. A quick glance at my briefing says 12 per cent less.