Mount Isa City Council is in hot water after announcing changes to its rates last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former Traeger Labor candidate Danielle Slade has been spearheading the protest against the changes.
“I have been inundated with messages, I cannot keep up with them. I launched a petition on Monday night and by Wednesday morning it already had more than 800 signatures,” Ms Slade said.
“The council should be selling this for what it is – a rate increase.”
Former mayor Ron McCullough says council has had a “brain snap”.
“This is a decision which must rate with the worst in Mount Isa’s history,” Mr McCullough said.
Mount Isa residents will pay $0.87 per kilolitre of water as well as a fixed $1130 access charge. Last year the fee was $1648.
According to council numbers, the average Mount Isa household will spend $1556.30 a year on water rates.
Mayor Joyce McCulloch said the average was worked out from data taken from all occupied residential properties with a 20mm water metre.
But Ms Slade said she would be surprised to find one person in town who makes a saving on their water under this system.
“They are acting like the community wanted this. A lot of businesses in town will be paying 400 per cent more for water,” Ms Slade said.
Cr McCulloch said council would have to cough up almost $11 million to the Mount Isa water board in the next financial year.
“The consumption charges, which we have kept to a minimum, are very reasonable compared to many other areas, but the access charge, we just can’t do anything to reduce the $11 million cost to council,” Cr McCulloch said.
Council defended the new user pays system as a fairer way to charge for water.
“Throughout the past few years, council have received many requests during meetings, community engagement exercises and telephone inquiries, to support the changes made to the charging system,” council said.
Ms Slade said people are going to be afraid to turn their taps on under the new system.
“Mount Isa is going to be a dust bowl, we live in a high lead area and it is the kids who are the most vulnerable. They are the ones playing out in the yard,” Ms Slade said.
“We are praying this will get reversed.
“It would show a lot of character if the mayor stands down from this issue and listens to the community. This is her first major test as mayor, let’s see how she goes,” she said.
Related stories:
Cr McCulloch said to keep water costs to a minimum for ratepayers, council had planned for a zero per cent revenue increase for water.
Cr McCulloch said council had taken on feedback and developed a remissions policy which includes a rebate for concealed leaks and faulty meters.
“If these properties continue to use a similar amount this year, they will be looking at an overall financial saving,” Cr McCulloch said.
“At the end of the day, we know that it costs a lot to access water. These are costs that Council have to pay, but we are working extremely hard behind the scenes to offset these costs for our ratepayers.”
Ms Slade encouraged members of the community to attend the next council meeting on July 25 to voice their opinions.
