I know I will not be the only ratepayer on the Central Coast feeling the brunt of the last water rate increases.
Last year, Rik Hart put out a press release advising us of the IPART-based increases with a supposed average increase of 17.1 per cent.
In my case it turned out to be 25.2 per cent and I include the decimal point figures as Council seem to delight in being exact in its press releases.
One component of last year’s increases actually went up 77.9 per cent.
I have just received my notice for the last quarter and once again, the “average” increase turned out to be 18 per cent.
The same component that went up in July 2022 at a level of 77.9 per cent went up another 50.8 per cent.
These level of increases cannot be maintained by Central Coast residents, especially pensioners.
I don’t know how IPART does its calculations, but they seem to be so far out of kilter with reality and normal CPI increases.
Email, Aug 23
Ken Lupton, Killarney Vale