The document was produced ahead of Mr Gutwein’s speech at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia function on Monday, during which he plans come down heavily on councils which he said receive dividend payments ahead of investing in TasWater infrastructure.

“Local government have enjoyed the benefits of ownership for a long period of time, they simply haven’t accepted the responsibility of ownership,” he said.

Mr Gutwein said Taswater’s owner councils would receive more than $200 million in dividends over the next 10 years but the money should be reinvested.

He would not commit to an exact amount of dividends he thought local government should forgo, but said more would be revealed on Monday.

Mr Gutwein also said there should be no need for councils to raise rates and instead more efficiencies needed to be found.

“Local government needs to prioritise its spending, what we are seeing is a lack of investment in one of the state’s most important and significant assets,” he said.

Opposition spokesman Scott Bacon said the Treasurer should be unlocking infrastructure funding to immediately address water and sewage.

“It’s a disgrace that he would choose to beat up on councils instead of work with them,” he said.