North East Water managing director Jo Murdoch said the corporation’s average water bills had been among the lowest in regional Victoria and Australia for more than a decade.
In 2023–24, North East Water’s average household bill was $1,040, which was $500 below the national average and $220 below the regional Victorian average.
“To cover the cost of critical infrastructure, we are proposing bills to increase by an average of 5.25 per cent annually, excluding inflation,” Ms Murdoch said.
“For a typical household using 194kL per year, this would mean a $61 increase in the first year, or $1.17 per week.
“For tenants, the increase is just $11 in the first year, or 21 cents per week, and $55 over five years.”
North East Water is inviting customers across the region to provide feedback on its 2026 Price Submission through a newly released Customer Summary before its final pricing proposal is submitted to the Essential Services Commission on October 1.
The Customer Summary outlines a proposed $250 million investment in critical infrastructure to improve water and wastewater security across the region, support more than 9,300 new housing connections and 500 local jobs, improve health and environmental compliance, and strengthen climate resilience.
It also proposes to double its Customer Support fund, which will help thousands of vulnerable customers a year with payment extensions, bill rebates and access to concessions and grants.
Ms Murdoch said more than $1 billion in new or upgraded water and wastewater infrastructure was required for the region in the next 10 to 15 years to respond to housing growth, compliance and climate change.
This included replacing major trunk infrastructure, upgrading water and wastewater treatment plants, new water storages, renewal of existing pipes and pumps and more.
The Customer Summary is available on North East Water’s website, and customers are encouraged to provide feedback by August 8, 2025.
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