Two very interesting articles in today's Sydney Morning Herald about water issues:

The first, titled "The rocketing price of water" quotes the ASU's Sally McManus and refers to our new "Dead in the Water" report:

"...a new report produced for the Australian Council of Trade Unions said investment in water infrastructure is being dominated by two French water companies - Veolia and Suez - and the public should be wary of a growing push towards privatisation.

''This report points to numerous examples in Australia and overseas where water privatisation has been bad for workers and … the community,'' a spokeswoman for the Australian Services Union, Sally McManus, said.

The union pointed to a case being heard by the Supreme Court in South Australia, where a Veolia subsidiary won the right to operate Adelaide's urban water system in 1995 and has been accused of overcharging taxpayers tens of millions of dollars"

>> Read the entire article

The Herald also carried an AAP (wire service) report  titled "Union worries about water privatisation"

"Both sides of NSW politics are being challenged by the services union to rule out privatising Sydney Water ahead of the state election next year.

A new report, commissioned by the Australian Services Union (ASU), warns of a privatisation agenda and outlines the negative impacts of water privatisation.

Neither the government or the opposition had ruled out the idea, ASU spokeswoman Sally McManus told a union meeting in Sydney on Tuesday."

>> Read the entire article