North East Water customers will see a small price rise to the cost of water and sewer services from the start of the new financial year.
Acting Managing Director, Anthony Hernan said the total average residential bill will increase by less than 1% per cent, or approximately $8.00 per year based on 200 kL annual usage.
"The volumetric charges will increase by 1.75% with no change to the fixed charge component of bills", Mr Hernan said.
"The total increase is less than CPI and was approved by the water industry's economic regulator, the Essential Services Commission (ESC).
"The Corporation aims to make bills as affordable as possible and this has been confirmed recently by a national report naming us as having the most affordable bills in the country for the third year in a row.
"Our affordable bills are expected to continue into the future with the ESC approving small annual increases until June 2025.
"We understand that any increase to utility bills can affect household budgets and we ask customers experiencing financial difficulties to call our customer service centre to discuss available options."
Mr Hernan added, "With a new financial year comes more major investment in our communities with $27.5 million to be spent in the 2019-20 capital works program."
"Projects include increasing the capacity of Beechworth's sewage system, upgrading the Bellbridge water network, constructing a 3MW solar farm at Wodonga's sewage treatment plant and building a new centralised depot in Wangaratta."
