A Minns Labor Government will amend the NSW Constitution to safeguard the public ownership of our state’s critical public assets, starting with Sydney Water and Hunter Water.
Speaking at a rally in Parramatta today, Chris Minns announced that Labor will enshrine protections starting with Sydney Water and Hunter Water.
A Labor Government would introduce legislation to make this change to the NSW Constitution.
Such legislation would recognise the importance to the people of NSW of the delivery of water services, and would ensure that the public utilities responsible for water delivery remained in public hands and under the direction of a Minister.
A similar move in Victoria saw water authorities entrenched as public entities under the Victorian Constitution in 2003.
Labor’s proposal follows Labor’s Anti-Privatisation Bill from 2021 – which the Liberal-National Government voted down.
Protecting Sydney Water from Perrottet’s privatisation
The commitment follows revelations this week that Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals requested plans for the privatisation of Sydney Water assets – notably a new $1.5bn facility at Kemps Creek.
This election has become a fight for the future of NSW’s state assets. Labor is the only party which will enshrine public ownership in the state constitution, and the only party that will protect families from rising costs of Liberal-National privatisations.
Modelling released this month showed that if Matt Kean sells Sydney Water, household water bills could surge by $264 each year – or 59 per cent.
Ahead of the 2019 election campaign, Perrottet said repeatedly that there were “no plans” for the privatisation of the remaining share of WestConnex. He called Labor’s warnings “fake news” and said “the Government has no plans in this space.”
After the election, Perrottet privatised the rest of WestConnex. Challenged on the U-turn, he simply said: “Plans change.”
Speaking at Labor’s Rally in Parramatta today, Labor Leader Chris Minns said:
“Putting Sydney water and Hunter Water in the New South Wales Constitution stops a back door fire sale of our essential assets.
“After assets totalling billions of dollars were sold off by the Kennett Government in Victoria, the Victorian Parliament placed their water assets in their State Constitution. And we can do the same here.
“Labor also believes that a guaranteed right to a safe, reliable, supply of clean water – provided by the Government of this State – should be a constitutionally protected right for the people of New South Wales.”
CHRIS MINNS MP
NSW LABOR LEADER
