Canberra – why the VERY expensive water?

Cockatoo is assisting councils and sporting groups to access federal stormwater and Green Precincts grants.

Here in Canberra, our golf course has an urgent need for stormwater in the current drought because using potable water is not an option – it costs $3,700/ML.

During our mulling process, we discovered that Adelaide pays $1,650/ML, Sydney pays $1610/ML and even cities like Dubbo and Wagga further down the parched Murray-Darling system pay only $1380/ML and $680/ML respectively. Something seriously out-of-kilter. We are investigating.

And one of our Canberra readers has gone for my jugular (ouch!):

“Dear Cockatoo, Why is it that people like you now realise the cost of water in the ACT!! We have tried to make people aware for some time that due to the powers that be we are charged way beyond what others are charged. All our infrastructure has been in place for a long time and even the normal maintenance is reduced (ain’t broke don’t fix). Now for the so called water security we are expected to pay on top of the charges. Why don’t you check the dividend to ACT and AGL for the past 10 years it has been operating. Water is a cash cow! Everyone needs it – so be careful not to look for the ACT grant for putting in a tank, as they will charge extraction fees from the stormwater system as well. Give with one hand take with the other. Anon.”