G-MW Announces 2008/09 Prices for Irrigation Services
2008/09 prices for the more than 40 services provided by Australia's largest rural water authority will appear in media this week and are available from Goulburn-Murray Water's (G-MW) website. The prices have been endorsed by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) and will apply from today, 1 July 2008.
According to G-MW Managing Director David Stewart, the full schedule of more than 230 prices was endorsed by the ESC last week and subsequently approved by the Board of G-MW.
"With drought continuing and so many farm input costs such as fuel and fertiliser rising rapidly, we have continued our efforts to provide longer-term certainty for irrigators," said Mr Stewart.
G-MW operates on a full cost recovery basis, and develops a multi-year water plan in consultation with its customer committees. G-MW's proposed prices are subject to review by the ESC. G-MW and the ESC have agreed to a program of annual price reviews for the six irrigation areas that will be modernised.
"Our prices strike a balance between the service standards sought by customers, and the costs of delivering these services through our existing infrastructure," said Mr Stewart.
G-MW's prices have increased by less than one percent in four of its six irrigation areas as G-MW has reduced capital and maintenance programs as much as possible in anticipation of modernisation programs rolling out.
"As the modernisation investment programs are progressively confirmed we will adjust our capital and maintenance programs to reflect the changes to the network which will include rationalising redundant assets and automating channel regulators," said Mr Stewart.
Over recent seasons, G-MW has repaid funds previously accumulated for capital replacement works, and price increases for the Torrumbarry and Pyramid-Boort irrigation areas reflect the shift from what were artificially deflated prices to prices that reflect the real cost of service delivery.
In the Campaspe district G-MW undertook one off maintenance projects in 2007/08.
"We will not incur these costs in 2008/09 and this is reflected in the 6 percent drop in prices for the district," said Mr Stewart.
At 68,000km2, G-MW's service region is about the size of Tasmania, and nearly half G-MW's nearly 26,000 customers are located outside the six gravity irrigation areas and are serviced by groundwater and unregulated rivers and streams.
Prices for regulated and unregulated diversions as well as regulated groundwater have increased by on average, a minimum of 10 percent, reflecting the installation and maintenance costs associated with metering programs to enable better measurement and more equitable management of available resources.
"With more and more customers relying on these sources of supply - especially groundwater - more intensive resource management programs have been implemented to ensure equitable access for all users and to protect the long term health and recovery of these resources," said Mr Stewart.
The average price changes for irrigation and drainage services as announced by the Essential Services Commission are as follows. Entitlement Storage Fees and Bulk Water Prices will remain at 2007/08 prices plus CPI. The following prices exclude CPI:
|
Irrigation Areas |
Change (excludes CPI) |
|
Change (excludes CPI) |
|
Murray Valley |
0.5 % |
Torrumbarry |
5.0 % |
|
Shepparton |
0.7% |
Pyramid-Boort |
4.8% |
|
Central Goulburn |
1% |
Campaspe |
- 6 % |
|
Rochester |
0.7% |
|
|
|
Regulated Diversions |
|
|
|
|
Goulburn |
11.0% |
Murray |
10.0% |
|
Unregulated Diversions |
|
|
|
|
Goulburn |
14.5 % |
Murray |
14.0 % |
|
Regulated Groundwater |
10.0 %. on average |
|
|
G-MW's full schedule of prices is available on the G-MW website. G-MW anticipates it will issue 2008/09 Annual Accounts for Fixed Water Charges during August 2008.
- ENDS -
Media Contact: Linda Nieuwenhuizen
Position: Manager Corporate Communications
Telephone: 03 5833 5776 and 0412 183 792
