A WERRIBEE South vegetable farmer has been fined for interfering with a water meter.
Amando Perri was found guilty of two counts of interfering with property belonging to Southern Rural Water.
He was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay costs of $4250.
Werribee Magistrates Court was last week told that on two occasions in November 2011, Southern Rural Water field officers visited Mr Perri’s
property and noticed an object stuck in the meter for his groundwater bore.
Southern Rural Water argued the object would interfere with the meter’s ability to record the amount of water drawn from
the bore.
The company claimed it was the fourth time Mr Perri had been charged and dealt with for Water Act offences.
Groundwater and rivers acting general manager Chris Hughes said Southern Rural Water was on the lookout for interference with its meters.
“The drought may be over but water is still a precious commodity and we will not tolerate misuse of or interference with
our meters.
“Licence holders need to continually check their meters to ensure they stay within their license volume.
“We rely on farmers to do the right thing so that we can protect water supply for everyone and the environment.”
To report suspected breaches, call Southern Rural Water on 1300139510.
