News

Yarrawonga jetty licence holders taken ‘hostage’: McCurdy

Thursday 24 May 2018

Nationals Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy has again raised the issue of huge increases in Yarrawonga jetty licence fees in Parliament.

Mr McCurdy asked that the Water Minister or a senior member of Goulburn-Murray Water come to Yarrawonga and explain to those with jetty licences why the Andrews government has increased the jetty licence fee by over 100 per cent, and higher in many instances.

“Jetty owners have been paying a reasonable fee for the privilege of accessing the waterways from their home properties. This has been a fair and reasonable fee up until this year,” Mr McCurdy told Parliament yesterday.

“However, this year Goulburn-Murray Water has decided that it will change the criteria without consultation, and in most cases it has more than doubled the fee for the coming year. This is an outrageous increase and is nothing more than a cash grab by a government determined to increase taxes and charges to all and sundry.

“Goulburn-Murray Water has been caught red-handed gouging customers, and I respectfully request that Goulburn-Murray Water visit Yarrawonga between now and when licence fees are due and payable, which is 15 June this year, and justify the charges, not just send a 'Dear John' letter from the safe haven of its comfortable offices.”

Mr McCurdy said the cost of living was now the number one concern of Ovens Valley residents. “This grab for cash is not helping,” he said.

“Many residents have been in their homes for many, many years and cannot afford such outrageous increases. I ask the minister to dispatch a Goulburn Murray Water delegation to Yarrawonga to talk with the community.

“The government holds a monopoly over licence fees and has a responsibility to be fair, not to take a bloody-minded approach to taxing and charging, particularly in this instance where there are no other options for customers. In fact 'customers' is probably not the correct terminology in this instance; 'hostages' is a better word to describe the situation.

“I would be delighted to chair a meeting on behalf of the community, so I respectfully ask that the meeting is not planned on a parliamentary sitting day and that I am contacted to confirm suitable dates.”

Mr McCurdy is awaiting a response from the Minister.

He first raised this issue in Parliament in February.