At the Byron Shire Council (BSC) meeting on 1 August it was revealed that BSC is unique among surrounding councils in having no policy about concealed water leaks.
These are underground leaks in the plumbing from the council meter to a residence that cannot be detected by residents based on wet patches or other visible means. Anyone can be affected. Residents who suffer such leaks are without fault or negligence, but it turns out that they are blamed by BSC.
BSC uniquely accepts no responsibility for timely notice of a likely leak based on BSC meter readings, and it accepts no responsibility to reduce the impact of such leaks on the environment and unsuspecting residents.
Is there an incentive for BSC to prolong such leaks, because it takes 40 per cent of all water bills, and thus profits more from continued leaks? Every surrounding council has a public policy that removes this incentive, reduces water wastage through early notification (requiring prompt repair of the leak by the resident), and reduces the financial impact on residents by partial remission of water fees for the concealed leakage. It is very easy to implement a trigger for early notification, based on quarterly meter readings (even for those without new ‘smart meters’).
At the meeting, councillors Dey, Ndiaye and Coorey attempted to convince BSC to act reasonably and correct this situation, but they were voted down by Councillors Lyon, Pugh, Hunter, Westheimer and Swivel. This is a betrayal of trust by BSC, because residents naturally assume that BSC will act reasonably. If you care for the environment and for fairness in Council policy, find out where candidates stand on this matter and vote accordingly.
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