TasWater’s chief executive and chairman have signed statutory declarations which conflict with the state Treasurer’s recollection of details from meetings held on water and sewerage matters.
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The declarations from chief executive Mike Brewster and chairman Miles Hampton reveal that the Treasurer Peter Gutwein denied funding requests at meetings to address drinking water challenges in regional towns and that the government considered water tanks an acceptable solution.
The statements said Mr Gutwein had not once raised issues regarding a water and sewerage “crisis” or concerns over a slow progression of the TasWater’s 10-year plan to upgrade assets and remove all towns from boil water and do-not-consume notices.
“Our discussions were based on a proposal developed by TasWater which set out how we might address the key water and sewerage challenges facing us in a ten-year timeframe,” the declarations read.
Labor received the two documents which they tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.
Former TasWater council spokesman Tony Foster later released another statutory declaration.
Mr Gutwein has recently criticised TasWater’s handling of the state’s water and sewerage issues, leading the government to mount a takeover plan.
He said that both councils and the organisation were moving too slowly to improve water quality and asset performance.
Mr Gutwein says this matter had been raised with them on many occasions.
