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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-05-13 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

SA Water Bills

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:14): Well, look at that: if you are a small business in South Australia and you are listening to what the Treasurer is saying, I think you would be in despair. What we are seeing around South Australia is that business confidence is the worst in the nation, and what we have heard from the Treasurer today is, 'This government doesn't care.'

Firstly, we hear about the challenges people are facing at the moment with the steep increase in their water costs. Last year, the Labor government announced that it would be increasing water bills for South Australian households and small businesses by 3½ per cent above inflation, which means on average $85 for a household and $350 for a business.

Do not forget that Labor have spent almost 20 of the last 24 years with their hands on the Treasury coffers and their hands on the amount that people are paying in South Australian water bills. It is their poor planning policy that has led to the lack of SA Water infrastructure, which they are now charging South Australians for in the middle of a housing and cost-of-living crisis. They are going to South Australian water bill payers and saying, 'You come and you make up for the mistakes that we've previously made.'

We do know that the former Liberal government slashed water bills by more than $200 on average for households and approximately $1,350 for small businesses because we were listening to the impacts that those water bills were having on everyday lives: on individuals, on families, on small businesses. We have also committed to reversing the ridiculous price hike over and above CPI that this Labor government has forced onto South Australian water bill payers. They should not be the ones who are having to foot the bill for the mistakes that have been made by previous Labor governments.

We hear the Treasurer and the Premier saying they are using every lever they can in a cost-of-living crisis. Well, their words do not match their actions. What we are actually seeing them doing is getting more and more tax out of the pockets of South Australians: we have highlighted the water bill, but they are also reaping the rewards of ever-increasing stamp duty and payroll tax. They are the ones who are getting the heightened amount of money into their budgets, and South Australians are starting to see through the spin that this Labor government is putting forward.

It was revealed at the end of January 2025 to Budget and Finance that there are around 55,000 SA Water customers who have a combined outstanding debt of $62.9 million with SA Water that is past its due date. We have seen the history of this Labor government, and we have seen the runs already on the board when it comes to adding extra cost and impost on South Australians.

We are starting to see that hit SA Water bills now, and that is why finally they are starting to recognise that: 'That increase does actually have an impact, but don't worry, it's all to do with the pipeline for housing. We're doing all that good work. We're making existing SA Water customers pay for mismanagement in the past and for future plans, if and when they may come.' South Australians with this extra cost that has been imposed on them by this Labor government are starting to question why: why are they having to fork out for mistakes that have been made in planning for the future?

The water bills that we have seen from some of the small businesses and individuals around South Australia are really concerning. I asked a question today, and unfortunately I did not get an answer from the small business minister. We heard a story about Steven and Laura, who are the owners of Exotic Botanic in Royston Park, and what they are facing as small business operators. Their water bill has gone up by 70 per cent compared with the same time last year.

We did not get an answer from the Minister for Small Business. What was the answer we got? We got the so-called 'super minister'—I have not seen those actions yet—and the answer from him was, 'Try to reduce your water usage.' What a slap in the face for small businesses who are having to pay more, and the answer from this Labor government is, 'Well, use less water.' That is an absolutely disgraceful response to the challenges being faced by small businesses and families during a cost-of-living crisis.

I also asked the question about media personality Cosi. He has got a platform to be able to put forward what every South Australian family and SA Water bill payer is having to face themselves. He has got the platform so he is able to put it forward. Every single person who is having to pay an SA Water bill is facing exactly the same thing: the unpleasant surprise when they receive their water bill. Cosi had one of approximately $1,000, 60 per cent more. This government has got their head in the sand when it comes to the impact that their decisions are having on everyday South Australians, individuals, families and businesses.

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