Wellington East water project will go ahead after council votes yes

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Wellington East residents will soon get access to drinkable mains water for the first time – but they’ll have to pay for it.

On Tuesday, Coorong councillors voted in favour of a $2.5 million project which will connect 220 households in the town to an SA Water pipe running along the Princes Highway.

Residents will contribute about $600,000 of that cost.

They will either pay the council:

• $2750 up front before May 1 next year, or
• $2820 in quarterly instalments between 2026 and 2029

Grant funding worth $1.9 million, including $1.1 million from the federal government, will make up the difference.

Until now, 220 properties at Wellington East have only had access to non-potable river water, supplied by the council.

Water quality issues during the 2022-23 River Murray floods made it clear that the status quo was not a safe option.

Mayor Paul Simmons expressed his relief that, after a long period of planning and consultation, locals would soon have a better alternative.

“It has been a very difficult process for a very long time, (with) many ups and downs,” he said after Tuesday’s vote.

“My thoughts are with the people who have to help pay for this.

“But in the long term this will be seen to have been quite an important decision for this district, to get our third-biggest town onto a reliable, potable scheme.”

Now was the time to get the job done, councillors decided on Tuesday.

As Cr Jeff Arthur put it: "This opportunity won't come again."

The council had not originally planned to give ratepayers an incentive to pay their share of the project's cost up front.

But Cr Jonathan Pietzsch moved an amendment to add 2.5 per cent interest to the three-year payment option to incentivise ratepayers to choose the up-front option.

Ratepayers who choose to pay in installments will automatically have the extra amount – about $6 per quarter – spread over the three year repayment period.

"It keeps a difference between those who want to pay up front (and those who don't, so) there is a benefit to doing so," Cr Pietzsch said.

Cr Lisa Rowntree didn't like that idea.

"You're punishing those who can't afford to pay up front," she said.

"The people that have to step this out are generally the people who can least afford the money ... so in principle I have a real issue with putting interest on people who are struggling to pay."

However, in the end, councillors unanimously decided to accept the three-year payment option, with 2.5% interest, for ratepayers who don't pay up front.

Residents are in favour, but many aren’t happy about the cost

Almost 80% of respondents to a council survey said they were in favour of the plan to connect Wellington East to mains water during a recent consultation period.

Asked whether residents should have to pay a $2750 charge, though, they were split closer to 50-50.

A number of respondents blamed either the developers of the marina at Wellington East for failing to pay for a mains water connection, or the council for failing to hold them accountable at the time.

“I don’t think, in 2025, we should be charging to supply drinkable water to people’s houses,” one respondent said.

“People in Africa, illegal immigrants and people in prison have access to a drinkable water supply.

“Times are extremely hard for families, and … council rates are already extremely high.”

Several respondents said they were pensioners and would struggle to pay the fee, even over several years.

“How will I eat?” asked one.

Several residents also blamed federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek and her state counterpart, Susan Close, for being unclear about the project’s costs.

A media release published by the two MPs last December spoke about “a $2.4 million injection into the Wellington East water supply project” as part of a “$13.3 million upgrade to the state’s water infrastructure”.

News publishers, including Murray Bridge News, used those figures in their headlines at the time.

But a line further down in the same release noted that the federal government would only supply half of the $13.3 million; and no breakdown of the costs of the Wellington East project was made available to the public.

Almost 160 residents offered some form of feedback to the council, either online or at two public meetings.

However, only a quarter of those living in the affected area sent a response.

What happens next?

Construction of the new water pipes, pumps and other infrastructure is expected to start in December and be complete by February.

It may then take a couple more months for all the water in the system to be certified as safe to drink.

SA Water will take over responsibility for the system next May, making all connected Wellington East residents ordinary SA Water customers.

• More information: www.coorong.sa.gov.au.