Tapping into true cost of running water to the door

After 14 years of going with the flow, it’s proposed to better align development charges with the true cost of connecting water to new builds. 

City of Coffs Harbour is proposing an update of the Water Supply Development Servicing Plan (DSP). 

The Water Supply DSP allows the City to levy contributions on developers for projects such as subdivisions, flat buildings, and commercial and industrial developments. 

Through this plan, developers are currently charged $12,599 for water connection to a standard detached dwelling on an urban block. 

The DSP charge hasn’t been fundamentally updated since 2010 (barring Consumer Price Index adjustments), and the upshot is serviced residents subsidise the real cost of water connection to fresh developments. 

The City is proposing to lift the  DSP charge to $17,828. 

“We are looking for a fairer user-pays system where a developer would bear the true cost of new water utility connections,” City of Coffs Harbour City Infrastructure Director Andrew Beswick said. 

“The proposal is that the higher charge would be phased in gradually over a three-year period.” 

At its meeting on 14 March 2024, Council voted to endorse the phased implementation of the updated developer services charges which will now be placed on public exhibition for feedback.