Region's flood victims to get water rebate

Residents across our region, who were hit hard in the recent floods, are being offered $50 off their water bills.

Unitywater has today confirmed it will provide a $50 rebate to flood-hit customers, who apply online before May 31. 

It follows lobbying from Moreton Bay Regional Council after concerns raised by some householders who used their own water to clean homes and council footpaths.

“We want to support our customers where we can and this rebate will help cover the cost of water used to clean properties,” Unitywater Acting CEO Pauline Thomson said.

“The $50 rebate is equivalent to the volume of water a family of four uses in two weeks, or running a hose for eight hours straight.

“The majority of our staff live in our service region too and we know how upsetting and stressful it can be when you’re affected by these extreme weather events.

“The process of setting up this support takes time and we thank the community for their patience while we’ve been assessing our options to ensure our approach is fair and prudent to all our customers.”

Acting Mayor Jodie Shipway thanked Unitywater for responding so quickly to Council’s campaign, saying it was right given how quick locals responded in the clean-up.

“These people have already gone through enough, so I’m pleased they’ll now have the peace of mind of knowing their next water bill won’t be inflated by flood clean-up costs," Cr Shipway said.

“I thank Unitywater for promptly responding to our calls to refund excess water charges accumulated during the recent disaster clean-up.”

The Acting Mayor said she saw residents “out with their hoses and pressure cleaners, washing mud from homes, helping neighbours and starting to clean public infrastructure. Such is the spirit of our community”.

“I hope this water rebate is another small way to help residents get back on their feet, and I encourage people in flood-hit areas to get online and apply as soon as possible,” the Acting Mayor said.

Unitywater Acting CEO Pauline Thomson said customers have until May 31 to apply.

"Once they submit their application, it will take about 6-8 weeks for us to assess and apply to eligible accounts,” she said.

“Once approved, the rebate will be deducted from the next bill following the May 31 closing date.

“We encourage anyone who may be struggling to pay their bill to contact us as soon as possible so we can work with them – we have payment and hardship plans available to support our customers when times are tough.”

Affected residents can apply for the rebate at www.unitywater.com/flood-rebate

Council has a flood relief package for our residents, which includes a one-off $250 rates relief for those who suffered significant damage from the disaster.

Ratepayers have an extra 30 days to pay their rates and Council has released a $1 million Flood Recovery Fund for community and sports clubs.

For a full list of support and financial assistance available, please visit: Support and financial assistance - Moreton Bay Regional Council