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Hornery, Sonia to the
Treasurer, and Minister for Industrial Relations representing the Minister for Finance and Services, and Minister for the Illawarra
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- Why are water rebates of eligible Sydney pensioners worth more than double
those of their Hunter counterparts?
- (a) Will the Minister address this inequity?
(b) If so, when?
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Answer -
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- Currently there are four water rebate schemes which have been in place for
many years. Under these schemes, pensioners who are direct customers of a NSW
water utility and are required to pay fixed water and sewerage charges are
entitled to a rebate.
The existing schemes are complex and they are
administered under different legislative frameworks by over a hundred water
utilities. This has led to variability in the methods of determining the rebate
amounts, eligibility criteria, administrative arrangements, payment levels and
review frameworks across the schemes.
- Earlier this year the 2012 NSW Commission of Audit report recommended a
review of all concessional arrangements, including water and sewerage
rebates. The NSW Government has given in principle support to the
recommendations and envisages the review will minimise inequities in water and
sewerage rebates across the different water utilities in NSW.
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Question asked on 23 October 2012 (session 55-1)
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 122
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Answer received on 27 November 2012
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 131
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