FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1984
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INCREASD WATER CHARGES START SUNDAY
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A NEW SCALE OF WATER CHARGES COMES INTO EFFECT ON SUNDAY (APRIL 1) - THE START OF THE 1984/85 FINANCIAL YEAR - WHICH WILL ADD NO MORE THAN $1 PER WEEK TO THE BILLS OF NINE OUT OF 10 DOMESTIC CONSUMERS.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (FRIDAY), THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR TOM TOMLINSON, SAID THE INCREASE WAS NECESSARY TO COVER HIGHER OPERATING COSTS ARISING FROM INFLATION, BUT HAD BEEN KEPT TO THE +BARE MINIMUM+.
AS FOR TRADE USERS, MR TOMLINSON SAID 66 PER CENT WOULD PAY LESS THAN $1 PER WEEK EXTRA. OF THE REMAINING 34 PER CENT, ONLY 0.5 PER CENT WOULD PAY MORE THAN $130 PER WEEK EXTRA.
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MR TOMLINSON SAID ALMOST 20 PER CENT OF DOMESTIC CONSUMERS MOST OF WHOM WERE IN PUBLIC HOUSING, WOULD STILL NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR THEIR WATER UNDER THE FREE UNITS ARRANGEMENT.
+OF CONSUMERS WHO ARE BILLED, HE SAID, +OVER NINETY ONE PER CENT WILL ONLY HAVE TO PAY AN EXTRA $1 PER WEEK OR LESS AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE.+
HE SAID IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUING NEED TO CONSERVE WATER LARGE USERS IN THE DOMESTIC FIELD WOULD BE OBLIGED TO PAY MORÉ, BUT EVEN SO THIS WOULD ONLY AMOUNT TO SOME $2 A WEEK EXTRA IN MOST CASES.
MR TOMLINSON SAID THE INCREASE WAS SMALLER IN PERCENTAGE TERMS THAN THOSE OF PREVIOUS YEARS AND WOULD NOT SHOW UP UNTIL BILLS PAYABLE IN AUGUST WERE ISSUED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN SPENDING LARGER SUMS EACH YEAR ON WATER PROJECTS.
THE CAPITAL WORKS NEEDED TO BRING INCREASED SUPPLIES FROM CHINA ALONE WERE EXPECTED TO COST $1.75 BILLION OVER A 12-YEAR PERIOD AND THERE WERE MANY OTHER COSTLY PROJECTS IN PROGRESS OR ABOUT TO START.
MR TOMLINSON SAID SOME CONNECTION CHARGES WOULD ALSO BE REVISED.
IN THESE CASES, HE SAID, THE AMOUNT CURRENTLY CHARGED WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD OF THE ACTUAL COST ONLY.
FROM APRIL 1, SMALL DIAMETER CONNECTIONS UNDER 30 METRES IN LENGTH WOULD COST $280, $400 AND $600, DEPENDING ON THE DIAMETER OF THE PIPING USED.
THERE WOULD ALSO BE REVISIONS TO THE CHARGE PER ADDITIONAL METRE LENGTH IN EXCESS OF 30 METRES FOR ALL SIZES OF CONNECTION.
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