Tell Jay how he can end bills pain

Premier Jay Weatherill is calling on feedback from the public on how to ease cost-of-living pressures. Picture: Tait Schmaal Source: The Advertiser

• TELL US: How do you ease the cost of living?

PREMIER Jay Weatherill will call on South Australians to tell him how to ease cost-of-living pressures, including possible new rebates and targeted assistance to help in costly "life-changing events".

He will release a cost-of-living discussion paper at the Australian Council of Social Services national conference in Adelaide and seek feedback from the public and stakeholders on reform.

In a sign the State Government is feeling the political heat from rising bills, Mr Weatherill has admitted "I know many South Australians are struggling with cost-of-living pressures".

"Over the past decade, the South Australian economy has grown and we have had great prosperity but the cost of some essential household expenses has risen considerably," he said yesterday.

"I want to ensure South Australia remains an affordable and attractive place to live, work, do business and raise a family."

Mr Weatherill said the cost-of-living burden often became most challenging during times when people's lives were changing substantially - such as having a baby, swapping career or coping with a health condition.

Making SA affordable is one of seven priorities Mr Weatherill set for the Government when he became premier. The Opposition views cost of living as one of the Government's major vulnerabilities and has blamed its policies for dramatically increasing water bills by building a desalination plant which does not need to be used.

Opposition treasury spokesman Iain Evans was given the state's first designated cost-of-living portfolio in the Liberals' February reshuffle, a move aimed at taking charge of the hip-pocket voter issue.

Mr Weatherill said the Government had taken action to ease the cost of living, including a one-off water rebate, deregulating the electricity market and making motor registration cheaper.

"We are focusing on protecting people's jobs and delivering services," he said.

"But we want to do even more about affordability and that's what this initiative is about. We know that most people manage their family and household budgets very carefully and we want to hear about people's priorities and concerns. Everyone will have a chance to have a say."

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WHAT HITS YOU THE HARDEST?

The average household spends its money on:

Housing 17 per cent

Food, drink 17 per cent

Transport 15 per cent

Recreation 13 per cent

Maintenance 6 per cent

Health care 6 per cent

Furniture 5 per cent

Clothing 4 per cent

Power 3 per cent

Alcohol 3 per cent

Tobacco 1 per cent

Other 10 per cent

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