Green gardens given remote chance
The people of Broken Hill are pleased by the city’s increased water prices, which will allow many to properly tend their gardens once more.
The Broken Hill Residents Association has welcomed the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) proposal for a rate increase, which has come in a fair bit below the figure requested by the city's water holder, Essential Energy.
Maintaining the lawns will be more affordable for Broken Hill residents, as the IPART plans have scrapped a second tier of charges.
Former Broken Hill City Councillor and now Resident’s Association representative Tom Kennedy says it will keep the city looking good.
“It means that a lot of people that keep gardens that use a considerable amount of water to green the city and keep lead levels down, the tier 2 water charge will be gone which in essence means people will be paying less to keep the garden,” he said.
“It will be good for council as well... Broken Hill's looked dry and desolate for a number of years."
Mr Kennedy says he’s happy the proposed price has come in under expectations.
“The last lots of increases from four years ago were close to 60 per cent increases," he said.
“After the last lot of increases at around 60 per cent, people stopped using a lot of water.
“The town did look bad so this is really really good for the city, better than I thought it would be.”