Amending the constitution to keep Sydney Water and Hunter Water in public hands will protect jobs and prevent water bills from rising, the Australian Services Union says.
The ASU has commended the Minns Government for introducing legislation to Parliament this week to enshrine public ownership of the two corporations into the NSW constitution.
The move will make it harder for a future government to sell the entities.
ASU NSW Secretary Angus McFarland said safeguarding essential publicly owned water assets is vital.
“Enshrining Sydney Water and Hunter Water into the constitution will protect jobs and consumers,” Mr McFarland said.
“This will support thousands of essential workers to continue delivering critical drinking water and services to millions of people across the state. Workers can continue maintaining world-class water, wastewater and stormwater services without fear of losing their jobs and consumers can feel more confident services won’t be cut.
“It will also prevent water bills from soaring. Analysis we’ve commissioned shows Sydneysiders could pay an extra $264 each per year if Sydney Water was privatised. Sydney Water returns strong dividends and tax revenue to the state government every year – it makes sense for the state to keep it.
“The fact that this is the first piece of legislation from the Minns Government sends a strong message that job security matters, affordable safe water matters, and keeping assets in public hands matters.”
