Discoloured water has become a hot election topic for the people of Yass.
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Labor has pledged a $13.5million injection of funding to replace the ageing water pipes as well as fast-tracking a new water treatment plant in partnership with Yass Valley Council.
"This is the same as the governments blatant failure to transfer even one kilometre of regional roads, despite it being a key election commitment in 2019," Labor candidate and Yass resident Michael Pilbrow said.
"Wendy Tuckerman and the Liberals like making shiny new announcements, but never follow through with action - now the people of Yass are facing potholes on our roads, and public health warnings for our water.
"Local families have put up with these water issues for too long - under Labor they won't have to."
However, Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman was quick to point out she had previously secured $10million in funding for the project.
"Let's be clear. At the last election, Yass Valley Council said it was going to take $10 million to fix the problem. As the local Member, I secured this funding, and Stage One of the project has already been completed."
Labor claims that is "just another broken promise" and that on the eve of the State election Mrs Tuckerman had pivoted to pointing the finger at Yass Valley Council.
Mrs Tuckerman said she had word from council that costs had since ballooned by about 200 per cent.
"early indications are that the project costs will exceed the initial $10 million that Council estimated at the time of the election by more than 200 per cent," she said.
Mrs Tuckerman said the council had failed to apply for a series of grants, which could have been used to address the pipe network.
$3.7million was released to council in the year following the 2019 election, but Mrs Tuckerman said there was still $6.3million unused.
However, Labor claims the Liberals were "passing the buck" when it came to cost blowouts for the upgrades.
"Wendy Tuckerman and the Liberals like making shiny new announcements, but never follow through with action - now the people of Yass are facing potholes on our roads, and public health warnings for our water," Mr Pilbrow said.
Labor has pledged $13.5million if it wins the election and says "a direction to be given to Yass Valley Council to expedite these essential water infrastructure upgrades."
According to Yass Valley Council, the current water supply is "affected by water hardness, dissolved solids, high organic matter, iron and manganese; causing the varying taste and colour long experienced by local residents.
In 2020 residents were forced to boil their water before consumption, following a public health warning.
