Unitywater is introducing a tiered pricing structure for its trade waste customers, but the move is set to see some businesses hit with a 750 per cent increase in permit fees.
Trade waste comes from businesses that produce fats, oils, grease and other pollutants, which require a higher level of treatment to ensure only clean, treated water is returned to waterways.
Previously, all Unitywater trade waste customers paid the same flat fee, regardless of the size or type of business. Unitywater believed the flat fee resulted in some inequities, particularly for smaller businesses.
The change in fees is designed to ensure businesses that generate trade waste contribute to the cost of treating it.
The changes will impact about 3200 Unitywater business customers and come into effect from July 1.
But State Member for Maroochydore and Shadow Minister for Finance and Better Regulation Fiona Simpson said the changes would mean price hikes for small business owners who are already doing it tough – from fish and chip shops to mechanics.
“The hospitality industry has been through hell and should be supported, not punished by sudden large changes,” she said.
“Some businesses will survive – they’ve got a fighting spirit – but this could be too much for some mum-and-dad businesses, and others warn they have to cut jobs.
“These small businesses are the heart of the Sunshine Coast and Queensland tourism (and) hospitality.”
SUBSCRIBE here now for our FREE news feed, direct to your inbox daily.
Unitywater executive manager customer and community Katherine Gee said businesses would be impacted differently, depending on which tier they were assigned.
“Unitywater understands that there is never a good time to increase prices and that this can be a concern for business owners,” she said.
“We are committed to supporting customers through this change and encourage businesses to contact us if they are concerned.
“Customers will receive their first bill in October 2023, giving them time to plan for the changes and to check the treatment tier they have recently been allocated.
“To support the transition to the new prices, Unitywater will only apply part of the increase to the permit fee for the first year.”
Respected restaurateur Tony Kelly, who owns eight popular Sunshine Coast businesses employing nearly 400 staff, said his operations would be adversely affected by the changes.
“We got a random call explaining there will be a price hike for the services that we receive off Unitywater as a commercial food and beverage facility,” he said.
“We were expecting a price hike of some description. But a 750 per cent price increase to treat our water, considering we’ve already got processes in place with grease traps and so forth, it just doesn’t make any sense me.
“This is an increase just shy of $20,000 annually for my restaurants as a whole. We can only absorb so much as a business.”
Ms Simpson added: “How does this acknowledge businesses that already have systems in place to clean waste water? It’s an absolute raw prawn for approximately 3200 businesses to get thousands of dollars in extra costs with no explanation, no engagement, no consultation with a detailed price plan.”
Ms Gee said each business was assessed individually and could ask for a review if unhappy with the designated tier.
“Businesses have been assigned a treatment tier following a thorough individual assessment of each customer’s business type, its size, the specific type of waste it generates and the likely impact of that waste on the wastewater network and environment,” she said.
“We have a review process in place if business owners feel the treatment tier they’ve been assigned doesn’t reflect their business. We’re encouraging any customers who don’t agree with their assigned tier to use the Treatment Tier Calculator on our website and contact us so that we can work with them and review their treatment tier.”
Another affected business is Mooloolaba Fisheries, whose general manager Paul Schenk also weighed in.
“This will increase prices and how we pass it onto customers,” he said. “Unfortunately, we can’t walk away from Unitywater. This has to be turned around.”
But Ms Gee hit back at claims there had been no explanation or consultation over price increases.
“Unitywater announced the pricing review with customers in April 2022,” she said.
“Since then, we have engaged and communicated with customers directly to keep them updated. This includes a series of emails and phone calls about the review process, changes to pricing structures and, most recently, details about their individual, specific changes to their trade waste permit fee.
“In 2022, Unitywater established a customer reference group for the purposes of consulting with affected businesses about the trade waste pricing review. Every trade waste customer was invited to participate in this reference group, and those customers who took up this opportunity represented a diverse group of business types and industry stakeholders.
“The customer reference group provided Unitywater with valuable feedback and input into how we could best help customers transition to the new pricing.”
Unitywater is a statutory authority governed by an independent board with three shareholders: Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Council and Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
