Unit owners tap in

IT WILL be a Happy New Year for nearly 29,000 unit owners across Noosa and the Sunshine Coast who are set to benefit from changes to Unitywater’s pricing structure.
Most residential units, apartments, townhouses and duplexes in the region will receive an estimated average reduction of $49 in their annual bills, at current water consumption levels.
Unitywater acting CEO Glen Babington said more than 65,500 customers in the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa council areas were affected by the new pricing structure being introduced from this month, including 64,500 residential customers.
“The changes reflect our efforts to drive prices down and we will continue to work hard to identify further savings that can be passed on to our customers,” Mr Babington said.
“Our customers have said they want lower fixed charges so they can control a larger proportion of their bill and we’ve listened.”
The changes include a standard two tiers for water usage, an increase in the tier one water usage threshold, lower fixed access charges for water and sewerage and a sewerage usage charge, capped at 740 litres per day for residential customers.
“There is more emphasis on user pays and that’s good news for unit owners who are low water users,’’ Mr Babington said.
Mr Babington said Unitywater was writing to all affected customers to explain the changes before bills under the new structure were issued from this month.
“These changes are occurring as part of a reform program we commenced more than 18 months ago,” he said.
“We inherited a complex set of fees and charges from six former council areas and when these changes are implemented, we will have a more consistent approach to charges for water and sewerage services for our residential customers.”
Mr Babington said those who would not receive a reduction in their bills were generally higher water users and customers who were previously paying one water and sewerage access fee for multiple units on their property.
Mr Babington said the changes for residential unit owners will cost Unitywater just over $1 million in revenue each year and follow a substantial reduction in water and sewerage charges for most retirement villages in late 2014.
The 1000 non-residential customers affected by these changes are owners of non-residential vacant land and non-residential properties in mixed use complexes.
He said a new pricing structure for the remaining non-residential customers would be rolled out later this year.