Don’t dump on us: Onkaparinga Council’s tender calls hit a hip pocket nerve with residents
ONKAPARINGA Council is considering selling off its waste and recycled water services, despite opposition from residents who fear their sewage bills will skyrocket as a result.
ONKAPARINGA Council is considering selling off its waste and recycled water services, despite overwhelming opposition from residents who fear their sewage bills will skyrocket.
The council agreed last month to spend at least $140,000 to explore whether its Community Wastewater Management System (CWMS) and its Water Business – which collects recycled water and stormwater to be used at parks, sporting clubs and schools – were worth privatising.
The moves comes despite 82 per cent of the 496 people who responded to community consultation on the possible sale being against it.
“It was clearly stated by 82 per cent of those surveyed that council is the appropriate body to both own and manage the CWMS and the Water Business,” a council report said.
“(It was) supported by the findings that almost half had concerns over privatisation, particularly with regard to price increases and decrease in service levels.”
The CWMS disposes wastewater from about 4500 households and businesses in Willunga, McLaren Vale, McLaren Flat, Clarendon, Maslin Beach, Morphett Vale and Sellicks Beach.
Residents and business owners with septic tanks pay about $800 each year to use the system, which collects the wastewater and feeds it into the community sewer system.
Some of the sewage is treated at wastewater treatment plants the council owns at Sellicks Beach and Willunga, before being disposed to the Willunga Basin Water Company for reuse.
Sewage collected in Morphett Vale, Clarendon and Maslin Beach is deposited directly into the SA Water sewer system.
A council report said the CWMS, which is managed and maintained by water utility services provider TRILITY and costs about $3 million to run, “operates close to a break-even point”.
Onkaparinga’s chief financial officer Anthony Spartalis said the council was preparing to go out to tender to gauge interest in the water assets and show the pros and cons of privatisation.
“Council has been considering the potential sale of its water assets for some time,” Mr Spartalis said.
“Towards the end of 2017, council spoke with organisations that showed potential interest in owning and operating council’s water assets … (and) thought it prudent to consider the option of divesting the assets.
“Our elected members decided that a possible sale was worth considering further and they made a decision to proceed to tender.
“The elected members have heard what the community said and once they have the necessary information through the tender process the community will be consulted again.”
A council report said there would be “at least 12 months’ worth of work” before a potential sale could occur.
‘History is going to repeat’
Leo Macpanas is among the hundreds of residents concerned their sewage bills will rise if Onkaparinga sells its wastewater system.
The Maslin Beach resident pays about $800 a year to be connected to the council’s Community Wastewater Management System and feared an ownership change would be a hit to his hip pocket. He relies on a septic tank to dispose of his family’s wastewater because his home is not serviced by the SA Water sewage network.
Mr Macpanas feared sewage prices would rise to be on par with electricity price hikes.
“I can remember (former Premier) John Olsen saying he would never sell ETSA and then when he got in … it was sold,” Mr Macpanas, 72, said. “And look what has happened there – prices have skyrocketed because (privatising) something is all to do with profits and shareholders.
“And that will happen with our water, history is going to repeat itself.
“You can bet your bottom dollar prices will go up if a private company takes over.”
Mr Macpanas said he was disappointed the council was considering the sale, despite resident opposition.
“The people don’t want it to happen, that is a fact, so why bother putting it out to tender?” he says. “That is just ridiculous.”