Who Pays?
| Option | Cost per year | Revenue per year |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $29,807,154 | |
| Costs to tax and rate payers | $0 No extra state taxes or council rates |
$0 |
| Residual offsets (from development and construction work) |
$336 per tonne of pollution (2,550 tonnes annually) |
$856,800 |
| Catchment Levy (detached house) |
$8 per household | $7,410,844 |
| Catchment Levy (unit/townhouse) |
$3 per household | $839,510 |
| Bulk Water Charge (industrial/rural use) |
1 cent per thousand litres (470 million kilolitres) |
$4,700,000 |
| Tourism Levy | $2 per room per night | $16,000,000 |
So... Who pays?
Like any investment in the future that pays big dividends there are some upfront costs.
Remember, the total cost to restore health to South East Queensland's waterways is around $500 million over the next twenty years with around $78 million needed in the next three years. But, just like the pollution that's causing the problem isn't all from one source so the investment to keep Moreton Bay beautiful will come from several different sources.
The table on the right shows how easy it is to raise almost $30 million per year without slugging any one sector and without any effect on the state budget bottom line.
Government Investment
The State government has a responsibility to provide leadership and financial support for on-ground projects and to help farmers modernise to improve the condition of Moreton Bay.
Polluter Pays
This works by requiring the person or organisation creating the problem to pay for the damage, either by repairing it themselves or paying for government to fix things up. The income raised from polluters would be used in the programs that help prevent pollution across the entire region.
In the table above that's covered by 'residual offsets' of $336 per tonne for unavoidable pollution during construction or development.
Beneficiary Pays
Those who benefit from a healthy Bay and waterways help to pay for the actions which improve them. Some money raised this way could be tied to the specific catchment or used across the region.
In the table above that's $8 per year for a house, or $3 per unit, an additional bulk water charge of 1 cent per thousand litres of water for industrial or agricultural uses and a tourism levy of $2 per room per night.
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