Dimitri Bouras, social worker for the Australian Greek welfare society, says water price increases are a “sign of the times”.
“It happens more and more in all western societies, and is the result of mass privatisation of public sectors”, he said.
In Victoria, households would have seen an increase in their water bills from July 1, a direct response to funding the Wonthaggi desalination plant.
Households in rural Victoria have fared better than their city counterparts, however, with water prices outside of the metropolitan area not expected to increase to the same degree.
“In Melbourne, consumer prices and the fixed values of water bills go up vertically, something that does not occur for the moment [to] the same extent in peripheral areas of Victoria,” Mr Bouras said.
George Katsourakis, secretary of the Association of Greek Elderly, said the rising price of water is not the only increase that has arisen lately, and that “the prices of basic commodities are continually rising”.
Mr Katsourakis added that the increasing cost of water is expected to cause significant difficulties to vulnerable population groups, particularly the elderly.
With normal water consumption, pensioners will be required to pay 26-37 per cent more, compared to a 17-25 per cent increase for the rest of the population.
According to Mr Katsourakis, many elderly Greek Australians face difficulties in meeting their daily needs.
“Every day people come to us and complain about their difficult situation,” he said.
“They are telling us that they can no longer cope with all the increases the government imposes.”
Mr Bouras said that the allowances received by some pensioners is “not at all sufficient to cover costs”.
“Furthermore, the increases concern not only the consumption but also the fixed service delivery charges,” he said.
“[This is problematic because] the majority of people who contact the Australian Greek Welfare Society are still renting their accommodation.”
Mr Bouras stated that a significant percentage of first-generation Greeks, aged 60 to 85, do not own a house or apartment and still pay rent. This puts them in a very difficult situation due to the high cost of renting in Melbourne.
The financial crisis in Greece has also seen an increase in the number of Greek expatriates returning to Australia.
“35 per cent of applicants for the [pensioner’s] allowance are Greek Australians returning to Australia,” Mr Bouras said.
“Usually they are still searching for a job, and they are encountering serious difficulties [in re-adapting to the community].”
Mr Katsourakis said the Federation often organises political protests.
“We even went to Canberra to protest and put pressure on the policy makers,” he said.
