Water Meters

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:19): Further supplementary: with strata properties, each property receives an SA Water account. All I am asking is that the actual meter reading for that one meter that services those strata titles be printed on the account.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:19): The honourable member may be right. I am not sure that he is—I could be completely wrong. I can recall from my days as a strata unit secretary for my group of flats that there wasn't an individual water bill delivered to each flat at all—it was delivered to the strata corporation. That may have changed. I don't have that information before me. I haven't lived in a flat for some time. I will undertake to inquire of SA Water as to the processes they now conduct.

If that is the case and the honourable member is correct, and I am not saying he isn't, then it makes some sense to put the full meter reading on those accounts, but it also might—it might—confuse people because they won't be paying for the full meterage, they will be paying their strata share, and their strata share may not be a straight up 10 per cent if there are 10 units. As I say, some strata corporations strike a different balance for upstairs units versus downstairs units.

It could, in fact, create even more confusion in the minds of residents, particularly those who aren't the owners but may be renting but may have a rental contract or rental agreement with their landlord that they pay the water bill. That facility is available these days, as I understand it, whereas previously it wasn't. I will undertake to take that question back to SA Water.

The Hon. G.E. Gago interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: You think I should?

The Hon. G.E. Gago: Yes.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I will undertake to take that back to SA Water or ask them their current practices, which may have changed, and the honourable member—

The Hon. G.E. Gago: We only get one bill.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —may be very right about that. The Hon. Gail Gago says that she's in a strata situation and she only gets one bill for the whole units. So, I will check that and I will come back with the appropriate information for the honourable member.