Every four years, G-MW propose fees and charges to the ESC for approval.
During a consultation process, the corporation reached more than 1000 face-to-face conversations, 3000 online visits to Your Say, 1300 customerconversations, 36 customer forum participants, 18 customer workshops, three major customer events, 34 drop-in days, 75 Water Services Committee members, one service standard summit day and two pricing and tariff summit days.
G-MW managing director Charmaine Quick said “customers have been clear — ‘a fairer deal for all’ is the overwhelming message”.
“We have heard our customers’ call for a reliable supply, credible business, fair pricing, efficient operations, responsive services and simple systems,” Ms Quick said.
“Our pricing submission reflects this message and we have committed to delivering those.
“Customers have told us the levels of service they are prepared to accept.
“We have co-created a suite of new and revised standards for licensing, customer service, water delivery and complaints management.
“We are also proposing a number of changes to pricing which will result in a price decrease of about 10 per cent for most customers.
“Across all customer groups, we heard where there is a same service, there should be a same price. We also know we need to simplify our service fees.
“We heard everyone should pay their fair share and we agree.”
G-MW is proposing to eliminate the price differential between water-users and non-water-users to deliver equitable and simpler pricing.
The proposal is for all retail customers and bulk water customers to move to system pricing — either Goulburn or Murray.
G-MW already uses uniform pricing for five irrigation areas, and is now proposing uniform pricing across all six irrigation areas in the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District.
This will:
●Be simpler and more transparent for customers.
●Create efficiencies for G-MW in administering one GMID.
●Support significant cost reductions in all irrigation areas.
“Another exciting proposal made within our pricing submission is the need to investigate year-round gravity irrigation,” Ms Quick said.
“With 365-day gravity fed irrigation, we may attract further investment from outside the region and enhance productivity from some of the most innovative primary producers based here in the GMID.”
The ESC is seeking consultation from customers during its review process. The consultation period ends on January 24, 2020.
The ESC will deliver a draft decision on G-MW's proposal in March. Further consultation will be carried out from March until April.
A final price determination will be made in June, for implementation from July 1. This will set fees and charges for the next four years from 2020-24.
The public can download the document and comment via a link at: www.gmwater.com.au/yoursay