Price Rise on Cards to Fund Urban Water Infrastructure

Cash-strapped households should not be hit with the costs of fixing strained water infrastructure as users in Sydney and surrounds face a possible 50 percent price hike, the New South Wales (NSW) opposition said. State-owned utility Sydney Water has reportedly submitted that water prices should rise by 18 percent from July 2025, then by seven percent every year for four years. The price hike, if adopted by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, could see water bills rise by hundreds of dollars each year in Sydney and the Hawkesbury. The tribunal periodically reviews pricing for all water corporations as they are government-owned monopolies. NSW shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope said Sydney’s Water claim showed $16.6 billion (US$10.9 billion) in new water infrastructure, most in Sydney’s west, was needed to keep pace with population....