As it should. It will be the only real way to ensure people use less. Only the US uses more water per person per day than Aus. In such a drought prone country that is just ridiculous.

if we were serious about water usage then we would immediately ban the growing of rice and cotton in the Murray-Darling basin. The amount of water used for these two crops boggles the mind. The return is pitiful for the amount of water these two consume. T

There is no incentive to use water efficient appliances as the cost of water in Oz is so low.

, what incentive is there to reduce water consumption?

The thought that we shouldn't be abusing the world we live on.

That's a lovely fluffy response, but doesn't address the practicalities of the average-Joe-in-the-street, who doesn't have the ability to think beyond Channel 10's latest mind numbing offering.

We all have to use water: the education of the majority is a long term affair, whilst we need a short term solution, even if only temporary. The hip pocket usually gets by in the short term, but only if constructed properly.

Added to which, the billing system almost encourages inefficient water use.

My last (6 monthly) bill from Dinner Plain was just over $400, of which $5 was water use

$12 was sewerage use, and the remaining $380+ was for statutory charges

If the water use component of a bill is such a small proportion, what incentive is there to reduce water consumption?

Which brings the word "sustainable" into the picture. If you continue to take more from a system than you get back (in the case of the cotton and rice crops), somethings got to give.

if youre on a minimum wage and you see a jump in youre water bill you wouldnt be rejoicing
Especially if you have a family and not enough money to buy a water tank

It's not about minimum wage earners it's about the ridiculous amounts of water the average Aussie uses.

(snip)

The average Aussie uses more than 3 times the amount of water per day than do the Brits. If we changed the way we use water then I think even the poorest could afford significant price hikes.

Geez there must be some people using a shirtload more than the average then. My family is nowhere near that average and I know plenty others like that too. Is that figure a total usage across all sectors simply divided through by the population or does it reflect domestic, direct water usage by the individual?

That's a lovely fluffy response, but doesn't address the practicalities of the average-Joe-in-the-street, who doesn't have the ability to think beyond Channel 10's latest mind numbing offering.