The State Opposition has accused the Bligh government of deliberately misleading Queenslanders over the SEQ Water Restructuring Bill which was passed last night.

Shadow Minister for Energy and Water Utilities Steve Dickson said the LNP said the bill was an attempt by the incompetent Bligh government to clean up the mess it made two years ago — when it stripped councils of their existing water assets and the right to conduct their water businesses.

Mr Dickson said since Labor’s disastrous decision, the cost of living for households had spiralled out of control.

“The current situation regarding water across South East Queensland is diabolical.

“Families are stressed out as they’re struggling to pay their water bills and other expensive Bligh government utility bills.

“This tired, 20-year-old government embarked on panicked spending that has left taxpayers to foot the billion dollar bills for water recycling plants which have never provided drinking water, the rusting Gold Coast desal plant and the defunct Traveston Dam.

Mr Dickson said the passing of the Water Restructuring Bill will force local councils to pass on the cost of leaving Allconnex and re-establishing their water businesses with ratepayers suffering financially for years to come.

“It’s an expensive outrage perpetrated by the inept Bligh government. And, ratepayers should be even angrier that the Water Minister Stephen Robertson told parliament that he doesn’t have a clue what the costs will be.

“This Allconnex water backflip is the latest in a series of financial failures perpetrated by Labor will has run this state into the ground.

Mr Dickson said the LNP’s Four Point Water Plan will bring down the price of water in Queensland.

The plan will:

• Amalgamate the four bulk water entities into one entity to reduce the cost of supplying water;
• Hand back control of water distribution and retailing to councils who previously did a far better job of managing water resources than the Bligh Government;
• Write off non-performing water grid assets to reduce sharp price rises.
• Adopt a 40 year price path to repay the Bligh Government’s $7 billion water grid debt over the economic life of the assets, which will also reduce the cost of water.

“It’s time for a change. It’s time to get Queensland back on track.”