XN000022-1978-04-26 — Page 40

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1978

APPLICATION FOR WATER SUPPLY IN HOUSING ESTATES WELL

UNDERSTOOD *****

THE GOVERNMENT IS SATISFIED THAT THE PROCEDURES FOR APPLYING FOR WATER SUPPLY IN HOUSING ESTATE ARE UNDERSTOOD BY ESTATE OFFICES AND THAT THEY ARE EXPLAINED TO AND UNDERSTOOD BY INCOMING TENANTS.

THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, SAID THIS TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY THE HON. P.G. WILLIAMS.

DESCRIBING THE PROCEDURES, HE SAID: +IN APPLYING FOR WATER SUPPLY THE INCOMING TENANTS SIGNS FORM F, WHICH IS AN UNDERTAKING TO PAY WATER CHARGES AND TO PAY A DEPOSIT TO COVER THE COST OF SUBSEQUENT WATER CONSUMPTION, WHICH IS BILLED IN ARREARS.+

IN NEW ESTATES, MR. MCDONALD SAID, METERS WERE INSTALLED IN ADVANCE OF OCCUPATION WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BEING THE INITIAL CONSUMER.

WHEN HOUSING UNITS HAD BEEN ALLOCATED THE ESTATES MANAGEMENT OFFICE UNDERTOOK THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK OF COMPLETING THE FORM F ON BEHALF OF THE INDIVIDUAL TENANTS WHO WERE THEN REQUIRED TO SIGN THEM, HE ADDED.

THE COMPLETED FORMS WERE FORWARDED TO THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT FOR PROCESSING AND SUPPLY WAS MADE AVAILABLE ON THE DATES AGREED WITH THE HOUSING ESTATE OFFICE.

+ IN CASES WHERE THE METER HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO NON-PAYMENT OF WATER CHARGES, A FORM I (WHICH IS A REQUEST FOR A METERED CONNECTION) IS ALSO REQUIRED AND IS FORWARDED BY THE HOUSING ESTATE OFFICE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE FORM F,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.

+HOWEVER, CONSIDERATION IS CURRENTLY BEING GIVEN TO DISPENSING

WITH FORM I APPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.+

MR. MCDONALD EMPHASISED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN A FEW ISOLATED CASES IN THE PAST WHERE THERE WAS A LACK OF UNDERSTANING OF THE PROCEDURES, THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOW SATISFIED THAT THE PROCEDURES WERE UNDERSTOOD BY ESTATE OFFICES AND THAT THEY WERE EXPLAINED TO AND UNDERSTOOD BY INCOMING TENANTS.

MR. WILLIAMS ALSO ASKED WHETHER IT WAS GOVERNMENT POLICY THAT WHERE A TENANT OF A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE OCCUPIED MORE THAN ONE HOUSING UNIT THAT WATER SERVICE AND METER WOULD ONLY BE SUPPLIED TO ONE OF THE UNITS.

IN REPLY, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT WHERE ALLOCATED HOUSING UNITS WERE COMBINED AND ADJACENT, ONE WATER METER WAS PROVIDED. THE TENANT THEREFORE RECEIVED ONE BASIC FREE ALLOWANCE IN RESPECT OF THE WATER CONSUMED.

+WHERE THE UNITS ARE SEPARATE, THE NEED FOR WATER SUPPLY IN EACH SEPARATE UNIT IS RECOGNISED AND A WATER METER IS PROVIDED TO EACH. IN SUCH CASES, THE CONSUMER GETS THE FREE ALLOWANCE ON EACH METER,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.

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