Northern Victoria Region
Mr QUILTY (Northern Victoria) (12:48): (1601) My constituency question is for the Minister for Water. Goulburn-Murray Water services a large portion of northern Victoria, providing bulk water storage and supply services. I have been contacted by a constituent from Browns Plains complaining about the unjustifiable charges from Goulburn-Murray Water for his licence to take and use water from an unregulated local aquifer under his property which he maintains and for which he pays all running costs. His complaint to Goulburn-Murray Water landed on deaf ears, leading him to my office. With a copy of his latest water bill, it is clear to see that the bulk of the charges are made up by a string of service fees that clearly do not apply to a groundwater user. My constituent is aware of the need to pay the cost of maintaining his licence, which is minimal, but argues that almost the entirety of this bill is made up of unfair charges. Minister, how can Goulburn-Murray Water issue an invoice to a groundwater licence holder full of charges for things they do not provide or pay for?