TasWater

TasWater is the state water and sewage services of Tasmania, founded in July 2013 by state legislation to consolidate the water supply businesses of Tasmania's councils. It merged the operations of Ben Lomond Water, Cradle Mountain Water, Southern Water and Onstream^[1] in response to a parliamentary inquiry that found failings with the then existing system.^[2] Its predecessors had been founded in 2008 following an earlier reform of the water and sewage system of Tasmania.^[3] TasWater has a checkered history since its foundation.

It is owned by the 29 Local Government Areas of Tasmania.^[4]

Controversy

Since TasWater's creation, it has been accused of overspending, bureaucracy, causing spiraling water price increases and decreasing the quality of Tasmanian water. It has had ongoing disputes with unions, who have criticised it for hiring outside consultants to investigate a staff member running over a duck,^[5] spending AU$280,000 to hire a recruitment agency to conduct 100 interviews,^[6] and spending $450,000 on advisers to create a new corporate structure for the company.^[7] Extensive use of outside consultants led to a number of senior employees applying for a hearing with Fair Work Australia in June 2014^[8] leading to union negotiations that broke down in August that year.^[9]

The company was criticised for a sewage spill into the South Esk River in April 2014, which it failed to inform the Northern Midlands Council of until three days after it was reported by residents and would not inform the Mayor of when the spill had started.^[10]

The company was the subject of a petition by residents of Circular Head Council, requesting control of local water services be returned to the Council. The petititon was handed to TasWater by local alderman upon receiving 350 signatures.^[11] Residents of Gretna, Tasmania presented a petition to the Premier of Tasmania in January 2015, demanding fixing of their water which had been dangerous for up to six years but degenerated even further recently. Gretna was at the time one of 21 towns in Tasmania with permanent danger warnings on their water supply.^[12]

In February 2015 the state peak body for property investors, the Property Council of Australia - Tasmania branch, launched a call for the fixing of major water quality issues by paying less dividends to councils and returning profit to the companies maintenance.^[13]

References