Bundaberg and Burnett households and businesses are again being slugged with higher power bills, with the Palaszczuk Labor Government unable to outline its plans for driving down costs.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the Queensland Competition Authority’s (QCA) determination for regional electricity prices showed the average household could expect a $41 increase in their power bill in 2016-17.
“The increase will be even higher for households also utilising tariffs 31 and 33,” Mr Bennett said.
“I’m really concerned that local Bundaberg and Burnett businesses are facing double digit percentage increases to their bills.
“Typical small businesses on the main tariff will see their bills go up around $236, or 11.2 per cent. For those businesses on the seasonal time-of-use tariff the average bill will increase by $660, or 15.8 per cent.
“Farmers and agricultural producers on transitional tariffs will see their bills increase by 12.3 per cent.”
Mr Bennett said the QCA report showed network costs, the largest component of customers’ bills, was decreasing.
“This reduction relates to the decisions taken by the LNP when in government to strip billions of dollars of wasteful expenditure out of state-owned electricity companies and to put an end to the gold plating of the networks that drives up prices,” he said.
“The increase in prices we are seeing today is primarily in relation to higher energy costs. Unfortunately, the only policies we’ve seen from the Palaszczuk Labor Government are going to drive these costs up further.
“The government is even refusing to release a report which contains recommendations on ways of driving down electricity prices for Queenslanders in the long term.
“This again shows the Labor Government is asleep at the wheel, and unfortunately it’s local residents who are paying the price through higher power bills.”
ENDS.
Wednesday, 1 June 2016