SA Water bonuses spark new political ‘blue collar’ row over River Murray flood crisis work

A fierce political row has erupted after almost $1m worth of SA Water bonuses was paid to “blue collar” workers for “extraordinary” River Murray flood crisis work.

Kingston-on-Murray looking south, on 5th December, 2022. Picture: Ashley Williams

A fierce political row over “blue collar” workers has erupted after SA Water paid out almost $1m worth of SA Water bonuses for their “extraordinary” River Murray flood crisis work.

Freedom of Information data shows special payments of nearly $2.5m to agency staff in the past five financial years as households face rising water bills due to “failed” policy.

The Sunday Mail last week reported record spending for all the state-owned utility’s incentive payments awarded, including more than $902,300 “above target allowances” to 926 staff in 2023-24 for the flood crisis response.

But the revelations have sparked a heated row after an “outraged” Opposition condemned “tone-deaf” payments in a cost-of-living crisis and ministers accused the Liberals of being anti “blue collar”.

No bonuses were awarded to other flood responders including the State Emergency Service personnel or volunteers, Environment Department staff or Green Industries clean-up staff.

River Murray Flood at Beaumonts near Morgan, 5th Dec 2022. Picture: Mel Tunks

Parliament last week heard financial rewards were handed to workers including lock attendants, construction and maintenance workers or field technicians.

Senior government sources say SA Water’s “co-ordinated and planned” response protected more than 100,000 customers at a taxpayer cost of $38.9m.

But Opposition spokeswoman, Riverland-based Upper House Liberal MP Dr Nicola Centofanti, said the Liberals remained “deeply concerned” the Government “saw fit to pay bonuses to SA Water employees for simply doing their job”.

“The insensitivity of these bonus payments is not only out of touch but represents a profound disconnect from the hardships faced by our community,” she told the Legislative Council.

Outside parliament, she said she saw “first hand the commendable work local SA Water employees did during the floods”.

“This isn’t about their work – this is about paying out a financial reward … when SA Water bills are rising for everyday South Australians,” she said.

Nicola Centofanti condemned the payments. Picture: NewsWire / Ben Clark

Riverland housing flood recovery round table meeting chaired by Minister for Housing and Urban Development and for Planning Nick Champion. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“Those living in affected communities right along the river continue to be left high and dry.”

She said the Liberals wanted to know how many bonus workers “actually reside in river communities”.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion, who was handed responsibility for SA Water in a recent cabinet reshuffle, told MPs that bonuses were not paid to executives, board members or “some imaginary fat cat”.

Mr Champion said most workers earned less than $100,000 for “important jobs” and that performance-related payments were awarded under both political party administrations.

All performance allowances were paid to staff earning under $130,000 a year.

“These are blue collar workers who are critical for the operations of our network,” he said outside parliament.

“Why is the Liberal Party against blue collar workers being fairly rewarded for going above and beyond their normal duties?

“No politician should sit in an airconditioned office, pontificating how frontline workers should be paid to keep our water running and sewers flowing.”

He said he had offered Liberal MPs the “chance to roll up her sleeves and join me to see the daily struggles our workers face having to clear tonnes of tree roots and wet wipes from our sewer network”.

Dr Centofanti said the Liberals were happy to accept the invitation.