Water bill inconsistencies affect pensioners in NSW

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has spoken out against the blatant discrimination of pensioners living outside Sydney, who pay $300 a year more, for their water than Sydney pensioners said National Seniors policy adviser for New South Wales, Paul Versteege.

“The Sydney Water pensioner rebate is a whopping $480 a year, but anywhere else in the state all you get is $175 a year off your water bill.”

In a draft determination and report now with the New South Wales government, IPART refers to “a strong case for increasing and/or altering the way that the [Wyong and Gosford Councils] pensioner rebate is calculated.”

Mr Versteege said that it was not just pensioners in the Gosford and Wyong local government areas who were affected.

“It applies to any New South Wales council that supplies town water to its rate payers, plus the Hunter Water Corporation gives pensioners a rebate of $175.”

“That rebate has not been indexed for the better part of 20 years.”

National Seniors welcomes IPART’s recommendation to Premier Nathan Rees, to finally change the Local Government Act and bring country pensioner water rebates in line with its city cousin.

“National Seniors calls on Nathan Rees to bring in indexation of the pensioner water rate rebate throughout New South Wales,” said Mr Versteege.