In QLD owners pay a portion of water use in their rates, so we pay anything we use over that allowance.

The owner can not make you pay the full amount of water usage in QLD unless the house is certified as water efficient. ie. toilets are dual flush, and cold water taps and showerheads must be a maximum flow rate of 9L/min.

In vic though we have tenants in our house who pay full water usage and we pay service and sewerage charges.