Only Sydney’s wealthy will water gardens in future

“Water in NSW is too cheap” claimed economist Richard Tooth, talking about Sydney Water’s most recent pricing proposals.

“Water costs $2 a tonne. that’s 5 litres for a cent” he said

“Topsoil sets you back 10 times that and also you pay for delivery,” claimed Dr Tooth

Households ought to be charged more during the drought”

He states water rates should rise and fall in relation to dam levels

Residential water users should be pay more to reflect that providing water during drought and climate change will require expensive investment in recycling and increased use of desalination…

He said: “We need to stop talking about drought as if it’s only an exceptional circumstance and more as if it’s a new reality.

“If you choose to use water , you should pay,” he said.

At the moment, there is little financial incentive to curb water usage.