Local Member Greg Warren has backed the Labor Opposition’s call on the Minister for Water to explain why Appin residents are forced to wait for basic services while the Baird Government gouges record mega profits from Sydney Water.
Existing residents along parts of Appin Road have no access to Sydney Water’s sewerage network.
Some houses in designated bush fire prone areas are connected to water, but they report extremely low pressure.
This low pressure could jeopardise fire fighting efforts during an emergency.
New housing developments across the road are fully connected to the Sydney Water network for both water and sewerage.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“It’s not acceptable that a bush fire prone area like Appin does not have adequate water pressure to fight this potential danger,’’ Mr Warren said.[/social_quote]
“Residents along Appin Road must go to the top of the list when it comes to having access to town water supply,’’ he said.
“It is simply too dangerous not to leave these houses with a low pressure water supply.
“The Government is guilty of gouging mega-profits out of Sydney Water while local residents are left without the most basic services.”
A recent report by the NSW Auditor-General revealed Sydney Water customers paid a record $911 million in dividends and taxes to the Baird Government in the 2014-15 financial year.
The increase was a staggering $372 million or 69 per cent increase on the previous year.
Mr Warren and Shadow Water Minister Chris Minns will write to the Minister for Water demanding a “please explain.”
Demand for timetable of action
The Labor Opposition is also calling on the Government to release a timetable for connecting residents on Appin Road to the sewerage system and an action plan to fix poor water pressure in the region.
“The NSW Government is constantly pushing for new housing developments in the South West precinct however they are not looking after existing residents first,’’ Mr Minns said.
“The fact that houses on Appin Road are supplied a sub-standard water supply and that they are without sewerage connections is a case in point.
“Residents on Appin road are sick of being treated like second class citizens by the NSW Government even though they moved to the area first.”
Sue Gay u are famous again
Ricardo if only they will listen.
Again I am happy to comment about matters in my electorate instead of the member for Campbelltown. The government put in sewerage connections to Appin under the priority sewerage scheme and had to top it up by more than 40 million because the then labor government did not do their homework.
The issues in the article are not connected as new estates have connected to sewer. The priority sewerage scheme as the member for Campbelltown knows full well is for homes classified by council and are typically under 1 acre. The majority of Appin has been retrofitted with the cost being met by the government to the tune of tens of thousands per household. Labor announced Appin when in government to the same houses our government did but the difference is they put out a press release, we delivered the project.
In the future if you would like a comment of fact about Wollondilly I am more than happy to be interviewed.