Toowoomba gardeners angry as TRC increases water charge

TOOWOOMBA gardeners have lashed out at the council’s plan to increase its controversial water access charge again.

Toowoomba Camellia Show and Garden Expo committee member Greg Johnson.

TOOWOOMBA gardeners have lashed out at the council's plan to increase its controversial water access charge again.

The charge, which already costs ratepayers more than $700 a year, will be hiked up again in this year's council budget by 4.1 per cent.

This is the third year it's been increased by the same amount, in a move Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald said was to help the TRC catch up with renewing ageing water infrastructure.

But avid gardener and community member Greg Johnson, whose water bills for the past 12 months were nearly $5000, said the increases to both water access and consumption charges was already making people consider abandoning their plants to save money.

"Gardens are the heart and soul of many people (in Toowoomba), and to just let them lie fallow (is) tragic," he said.

"I know our bills are high, but what choice do (people) have?

"I take this whole water thing rather personally - it's far too much to pay."

This sentiment was shared by Toowoomba residents on a poll by The Chronicle, with 91 per cent of readers in favour of scrapping the charge altogether.

Mr Johnson said he would like to see the council rethink how it managed and charged for water.

"We need to give ratepayers a break, and particularly with COVID-19 around, the last thing people need to hear is more bad news," he said.

Cr McDonald, who is also the finance chair, said the increase was part of a five-year plan.

"We're now in our third-year of the plan and we are still playing catch-up," he said.

"We've got nearly $1 billion worth of infrastructure for our water services and water supply, and that's a big impost for this council so we need to make sure our service responsibility of delivering freshwater to our community is done so appropriately."