29 February 2012
Auckland Council is encouraging Aucklanders to have their say on how wastewater charges should be calculated from 1 July 2012.
The Mayor is proposing a new charging system in the council’s Draft Long Term Plan, which is out for public consultation until Friday 23 March.
Currently, the amount Aucklanders pay for wastewater services varies depending on the systems developed by the former city and district councils across the region. Variables can include: the location of the property (urban/rural); the value of the property; the presence of a water meter; the volume of water that passes through a water meter; the number of toilets/urinals; and the type of wastewater system (unpressurised/pressurised).
Last year, Watercare introduced a single, region-wide tariff of $1.30 per 1,000 litres for mains-supplied drinking water across all of Auckland. Under the council’s proposed wastewater charging methodology residential households with water meters will pay a unified tariff for wastewater services. The proposal includes a fixed component and a variable charge, depending on how much metered water a customer uses. Under this system, all wastewater charges will be billable by Watercare and wastewater will cease to be part of the council’s rates from 1 July 2012.
Under the model out for consultation it is proposed there will be standardised wastewater charging systems for:
- Residential properties with water meters: fixed and variable charging system.
- Residential properties without water meters: fixed charging system.
- Non-residential properties with water meters: fixed and variable charging system.
- Non-residential properties without water meters: fixed charging system.
The Auckland Council has produced a wastewater charges guide for 2012/13 as part of the Draft Long Term Plan. This shows how much a household connected to mains water and wastewater could expect to pay for wastewater, depending on its water consumption habits if the council's proposal were adopted. The wastewater charges guide includes a proposed non-domestic (commercial) tariff model which is also presented for consultation.
To find out more about the charging systems, download volume three of the Draft Long Term Plan on the Auckland Council website. The proposal for wastewater tariffs is on page 174, along with information on the current charging systems.
Aucklanders have until Friday 23 March to have their say. To find out more about making a submission, visit the Auckland Council website www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz