Australia toilet tax - the first of many ?

It may actually make a difference. Germany has a very high Fresh water and waste water fee. And it reduced water uses drastically since the late 70s.

NOW WE ARE ON TO SOMETHING HERE

There may be a better way. In Japan all the toilets have two options, "little flush" or "big flush." The user can chose to flush how they like, in most home people flush accordingly becuase water is not free. If local governments just hikes the water rates people would govern themselves without a dictate.

I think incentives for redesigned toilets would be easier for the public to accept, to avoid terms like "this is a load of crap". Australian toilets, like American loos, have only one flush option (deluge), unlike their European porcelain cousins.

Thailand's are the most efficient I've seen (wash hands into bucket, pour bucket into toilet), but a fully-manual toilet would be a tough sell in the west.

We recently installed a low flow dual flush toilet.  We'd had a water main break and discovered that it took most of a 20l bucket of water to flush the toilet every time.  Previously I was a "let it mellow" sort of person.  I'd been raised on a rural well and septic system and so we'd learned water conservation.  Now the new toilet has so little water in the bottom you simply can't let it lay there.  The concentration is too high and it's too filthy.  What's more, there's much less water needed to clear the bowl, so less concern over flushing.  I wonder sometimes whether I'm using more or less water over the course of a day flushing every time where I used to flush every now and then.  Not something I'm in a position to explore, though.  I'd really resent a "flush tax" if it works on frequency of flush.  The new toilet cost double what regular toilets cost and we replaced a perfectly functional biffy.  Higher water use rates would be sufficient incentive to cut water use.

Hey, I have Chrohns disease... I flush more then most.  Wow tax the ill. 

What are they going to put a clicker on your flush switch?  Man what are we coming too?

I think this is a wise idea - we often flush toilets with reckless abandon, not even thinking about how many resources are used with every careless flush. Or, you can always be like my friend in Duncan, BC who has built a "cobhouse" outhouse out back - totally natural!

I agree with politisite. What about those with health problems?

Hilarious. I wonder how many people will just go out in the backyard rather than face the tax. Or simply use a bucket and then dump it out the window, ala the Middle Ages.

An implantable breath monitor in the neck would be the ultimate in carbon reduction. It could monitor people's exhalations and tax those who "breath a lot". While discouraging exercise, people could be trained to breath shallowly.

I totally agree!  People are way too stupid to take care of themselves.  It's time the governments all take the time to get together and determine how best to govern their countries.   Maybe the next generation will rise up and be better able to take care of the earth and then they can try and govern themselves if the governments feel that the people are capable then......

Also, don't forget a toilet paper tax as well. People who use more than one square per bathroom visit could be taxed as well.

Regarding the potty tax, will restaurants have to charge people who use public restrooms? Or due to financial concerns, will all restrooms be closed?

Heck, this doesn't even scratch the surface. Infant diapers could be implanted with sensors to detect soilage - thus every usage would be taxed and accounted for.

suck it up, cost of living, right?... think you'll be seeing a lot more of crazy taxation this in the coming months, if this one becomes more widely recognized - guess we'll be seeing a lot more bears $h!tting in the woods ;)

- internet tax! fun....

Jordan is full of crap, and obviously doesn't live in Australia. Dual-flush toilets have been in place in Australia for over 20 years, and have saved enormous amounts of water.

Good luck to this person and good luck to them trying to get their idea put in place. The mind boggles at the complexity of trying to measure every flush at every toilet in Australia. The solution is simple. Make water expensive to buy and use. We already pay Annual Water Rates (an annual tax based on the cost of the water supply service infrastructure) - and then we pay for water use on top of that, with an increasing cost as your Kilolitre useage rises. All that has to be done is make water a whole lot more expensive by way of the charge related to Kilolitre useage, and people will treat it like the expensive and scarce commodity it really is, in Australia.

Country people are a lot more "water-wise" than city people - because they know all about shortages of water - but by far the biggest water users (and wasters) are commercial users and industry, who don't pay anything like the amount householders pay for their water. When commercial users and industry pay their fair share of water cost, and reduce wasteage - well, then I might think about more ways of reducing my water use. As it stands, I am country born and bred, even though I live in the city, and I take great care with water use.

CSIRO Policy and Economic Research Unit member Jim McColl and Adelaide University Water Management Professor Mike Young plan to promote the move to state and federal politicians and experts across the country.
it's not the government proposing this, it's these two dudes and it's made heaps of news but it's just an idea. so untwist your knickers you lot...