Quarterly bills introduced with lower water rates

Central Coast Council will introduce quarterly water bills for the Peninsula, along with lower average water rates, from July 1.

The average annual water bill is expected to fall by around $330 in the former Gosford local government area following a recent decision by the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.

As well, residents and customers in the former Gosford LGA will receive their water bills quarterly instead of bi-annually, in line with the same cycle already in place in the former Wyong LGA.

Central Coast Council will also move the stormwater drainage charge, which current appears on the rates account for Peninsula residents, to the water account - again reflecting what is already in place in the former Wyong LGA.

Council chief financial officer Mr Craig Norman said while these changes would not impact the bottom line of the consumer, but was another example of how the Council was aligning some of its essential services and "moving forward as One Central Coast".

"Unifying our water billing across the region ensures consistency for our community," Mr Norman said.

He said spreading water charges across four bills, instead of two, made bills "more manageable, helping to reduce bill shock and ease financial pressure for a number of residents and customers.

"A more frequent bill can also help residents budget better as well as identify leaks more readily to ensure we are all using our water responsibly."

While welcoming the streamlining of services and lower water prices, mayor Cr Jane Smith has encouraged continued wise water use.

"We must remember that like most of NSW, the Central Coast is affected by drought and we encourage everyone to continue to use water wisely."

Cr Smith said the Tribunal's recent determination should see the annual water bill for a typical household in the former Gosford LGA fall by about $330 in 2019-20, and a typical bill for a household in the former Wyong LGA fall by about $150 per year, depending on water usage.

If residents or customers have any questions about their next water bill, she encouraged them to visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/mywaterbill or to phone 1300 463 954.

SOURCE:

Media release, 1 Jul 2019

Craig Norman, Central Coast Council