10 years of water bill rises

[MotherBear]

Hucker confirms 10 years of water rises
Page 1 of 2 5:00AM Tuesday June 12, 2007
By Bernard Orsman

City Vision leader Bruce Hucker says water bills will rise 9 to 10 per cent every year for a decade and is confident of political support to push through the increases.

The policy will see a "medium" family water bill increase from about $920 to $2180 by 2015. This figure is based on confirmed increases of 9.6 per cent and 9.1 per cent in the first two years and a 9 per cent increase for the next eight years.

Dr Hucker told Radio New Zealand yesterday that there would be "small increases of about that rate" (9.6 per cent and 9.1 per cent) over the life of the council's 10-year plan.

Asked if that was doubling water prices, Dr Hucker said: "Yes, but from a relatively small base, and also people's incomes grow over those years."

He acknowledged that most incomes would not rise by 10 per cent but said the council was investing $2.3 billion in the next decade through a combination of policies to transform Auckland "in a way that is affordable for everyone".

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