Hunter Water Corporation Media Release

Transcription

1 Hunter Water Corporation Media Release Wednesday 8 January 2014 HUNTER WATER INCREASES CUSTOMER REBATE A decision 2 years ago to adjust how Hunter Water compensates customers affected by lengthy emergency repairs has since seen rebates increase by $420,000 to more than $600,000. Hunter Water now rebates any customer approximately $30 when their water service is interrupted for more than 5 hours between 5am and 11pm. A rebate of approximately $60 is automatically credited to a customer s account when a dry weather wastewater overflow occurs on a property due to a failure in Hunter Water s system. In the rare event where a property is affected more than twice in a year, a water rebate worth approximately $250 is paid. Hunter Water Executive Manager of Customer Services Dean Taylor said the community deserves to be compensated when a failure in the network causes significant inconvenience. I think we all understand that pipes sometimes break. It s important however that if the interruption is for an extended period of time, people are financially compensated for the inconvenience. A break in a water main can affect thousands of people. In November last year a break in a trunk main in Wallsend affected more than 2,000 properties. Because the main was at the back of an industrial estate, the repair took 7 hours and required Hunter Water to set up a bottled water station at Maryland Shopping Centre. Breaks in the network are an unfortunate fact of life for water utilities. Last year saw an increase in the number of people rebated by Hunter Water. This increase in pipe breaks was largely due to the 8 months we had with virtually no rain. In such cases, the ground simply dries up and the pipes break. Hunter Water started a $435 million, 4 year capital works program in July last year which will see many aging mains replaced. Regardless Hunter Water is committed to reasonably compensating people when their service is interrupted for a significant length of time, he said. Media: Nick Kaiser M nick.kaiser@hunterwater.com.au

2 Summary of rebates paid since April 2011: (1) (a) Between 1 April 2011 and 26 November 2013, how many households received the $30 rebate or 10 per cent of their water or wastewater service charge due to their services being interrupted by planned or unplanned work for more than five hours? 4,788 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $151, Fletcher, New Lambton, East Maitland, Maryland, Marks Point, The Hill, Charlestown, Morisset Park, Cessnock (2) (a) Between 1 April 2011 and 26 November 2013, how many businesses received the $30 rebate or 10 per cent of their water or wastewater service charge due to their services being interrupted by planned or unplanned work for more than five hours? 170 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $5, Charlestown, New Lambton, Belmont, East Maitland, Gateshead, Newcastle, Cessnock, The Hill, Maitland (3) (a) Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, how many households received the $30 interrupted by planned or unplanned work for more than five hours? 1,154 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $33, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Marks Point, The Hill, Charlestown, Mount Hutton, Bar Beach, Brightwaters, Bonnells Bay, Paxton, Edgeworth, Adamstown (4) (a) Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, how many businesses received the $30 interrupted by planned or unplanned work for more than five hours? 56 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $1, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Charlestown, The Hill, Marks Point, Edgeworth, Maitland, Mount Hutton, Louth Park, Cessnock, Belmont, East Maitland (5) (a) Between 1 January 2013 and 26 November 2013, how many households received the $30 interrupted by planned or unplanned work for more than five hours? 3,230 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $102, Fletcher, New Lambton, East Maitland, Maryland, Morisset Park, Cessnock, Soldiers Point, Vacy, Eleebana

3 (6) (a) Between 1 January 2013 and 26 November 2013, how many businesses received the $30 interrupted by planned or unplanned work for more than five hours? 102 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $3, New Lambton, Belmont, Gateshead, East Maitland, Cessnock, Morisset Park, Maryland, Maitland, Paterson (7) (a) Between 1 April 2011 and 26 November 2013, how many households received the $50 rebate or 10 per cent of their water or wastewater service charge due to the wastewater system failing? 5,453 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $383, Maitland, Raymond Terrace, Wallsend, New Lambton, Cessnock, Adamstown Heights, Merewether, Rutherford, Warners Bay (8) (a) Between 1 April 2011 and 26 November 2013, how many businesses received the $50 rebate or 10 per cent of their water or wastewater service charge due to the wastewater system failing? 310 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $21, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Newcastle, East Maitland, Merewether, Charlestown, Mayfield, Cardiff, Newcastle West, New Lambton, Toronto, Cessnock (9) (a) Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, how many households received the $50 failing? 2,410 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $141, Maitland, Raymond Terrace, Wallsend, New Lambton, Rutherford, Adamstown Heights, Merewether, Cessnock, Warners Bay (10) (a) Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, how many businesses received the $50 failing? 127 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $7, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Charlestown, Mayfield, Cardiff, Newcastle, Merewether, New Lambton, Toronto, Warners Bay, East Maitland, Dungog (11) (a) Between 1 January 2013 and 26 November 2013, how many households received the $50 failing? 2,195

4 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $139, Maitland, Cessnock, Adamstown Heights, Merewether, Raymond Terrace, Wallsend, New Lambton, Toronto, Rutherford (12) (a) Between 1 January 2013 and 26 November 2013, how many businesses received the $50 failing? 130 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $8, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Newcastle, Merewether, Lakelands, Nelson Bay, East Maitland, Cardiff, Newcastle West, Cessnock, Belmont, Raymond Terrace (13) (a) Between 1 April 2011 and 26 November 2013, how many households received a full rebate due to their services being interrupted for three or more times a year? 1694 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $55, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Rathmines, Vacy, Cessnock, Maryville, Tingira Heights, Merewether, Lambton, Aberglasslyn, Millfield, Adamstown (14) (a) Between 1 April 2011 and 26 November 2013, how many businesses received a full rebate due to their services being interrupted for three or more times a year? 89 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $2, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Maryville, Vacy, New Lambton, Caves Beach, Lambton, Rathmines, Aberdare, Kurri Kurri, Millfield, East Maitland (15) (a) Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, how many households received a full rebate due to their services being interrupted for three or more times a year? 677 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $21, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Tingira Heights, Rathmines, Aberglasslyn, Millfield, Edgeworth, Kilaben Bay, Nords Wharf, Adamstown, Caves Beach, Ellalong (16) (a) Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012, how many businesses received a full rebate due to their services being interrupted for three or more times a year? 10 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $ (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? *Caves Beach, Millfield, Rathmines, Aberglasslyn, Louth Park * Only commercial customers in 5 suburbs were eligible for a full rebate during this year.

5 (17) (a) Between 1 January 2013 and 26 November 2013, how many households received a full rebate due to their services being interrupted for three or more times a year? 826 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $25, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Cessnock, Merewether, Vacy, Lambton, Floraville, Kurri Kurri, Abermain, Mulbring, East Maitland, Charlestown (18) (a) Between 1 January 2013 and 26 November 2013, how many businesses received a full rebate due to their services being interrupted for three or more times a year? 39 (b) What was the overall total in rebates provided? $1, (c) Where were the top ten suburbs in order where those rebates were provided? Vacy, New Lambton, Lambton, Kurri Kurri, East Maitland, Mulbring, Aberdare, Richmond Vale, Cessnock, Adamstown.