Households and seniors will be saddled with $238 million of extra fees and charges over the next four years as the new Labor government struggles to reign in spending and pay down debt.
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Seniors will be slugged $84 million as water and council rates rebates are capped to $100 for WA Seniors Card holders unless they can prove they hold a Commonwealth concession.
Currently, seniors can claim a 50 per cent rebate on rates (capped at $750) and water service charges (capped at $600).
However, WA Seniors Card holders would still be entitled to the existing discounts on public transport fares.
This comes after fears the WA Seniors Card would be means tested, potentially halving the number of eligible seniors in Mandurah and Peel.
The average WA household will be slugged close to $440 on their bills, including a hike in power bills of $169 a year.
Water, sewerage and drainage fees will be going up an average $266.
Public transport fares will be going up 1.8 per cent.
Treasurer Ben Wyatt said the increases were “fair”, but blamed them on the former government.
“The previous government left behind a budget with increases in household fees and charges, and given the state of finances there is no way the state can afford to stop them,” he said.
“We have had to make tough decisions to help get the budget under control and unfortunately the burden of those decisions need to be shared across the community.
“This government takes the state’s financial challenge very seriously, with the state heading to more than $42 billion in debt by 2020, and an operating deficit of about $3 billion in 2016‑17 – all the legacy of the Liberals and Nationals.”
Opposition spokesman for the Peel region Zak Kirkup said he was disappointed the WA Seniors Card had been “psuedo-means tested”.
“They’ve capped the concession you can get for water and council rates at $100, which is nothing,” he said.
“So if you hold a WA Seniors Card, you were previously able to claim significantly more than that, now it’s capped.
He said self-funded retirees who were just above the pension level would be hit hard.
“In this district, the vast majority of self-funded retirees are not multi-millionaires, they’re people who are just keeping their heads above water,” he said.
“It isn’t like they have a heap of money, but now they’re being hit as if they do.”
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