Labour’s measures on water pollution do not go far enough

The Government says the new measures will give regulators powers to issue automatic fines, as well as two-year custodial sentences, to the bosses of water companies found to be damaging the environment.

The new Government should at least be praised for engaging with the issue of water pollution.

However, the reaction of clean water campaigners clearly shows that these measures are only being viewed as window dressing.

What needs to be at the heart of tackling this crisis is enforcement. Too often regulators are either choosing to or failing to enforce existing laws that would hold bosses at water companies accountable.

Sewage pollution of the nation’s rivers, lakes and seas has been nothing but wanton destruction of the environment.

Potential jail terms announced in the new bill would be for executives who fail to co-operate or who obstruct investigations, which suggests that many bosses will get away with continued pollution.

It is also time to face up to the stark reality, which is that the infrastructure is simply not up to scratch. The responsibility for upgrading the Victorian infrastructure lies with water companies. That was one of the incentives offered to the nation when utilities were privatised but that has not materialised.

Fixing the fundamental issues is going to come at a cost. The first to pay should be the water companies themselves. Customers are tired of picking up the bills while shareholders and bosses continue to quaff dividends and bonuses.

The government says there will be more legislation in the future that will lead to more fundamental changes to the water industry. But just like a lot of Labour policies, it is jam tomorrow.