Independent candidate for the seat of Tamworth, Peter Draper, has slammed the National Party's support for electricity privatisation saying that the former “Party of the Bush” has sold out their country constituency.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On the day the Nationals were boasting they had saved Essential Energy, Mr Draper said the electricity company reciprocated with notices to all country councils that each council’s charges for street lighting from Essential Energy would move to full cost recovery.
The independent candidate claims Tamworth Regional Council's street lighting bill has increased by almost $222,000 - an 89 percent increase over the previous year; while Liverpool Plains Shire Council has been hit with a massive 102 per cent increase of $34,000 per year and Walcha and Gunnedah both face a 33 per cent hike.
“The Nationals have said that electricity prices will not increase, however this cunning plan will see local residents and businesses pay increased electricity prices through their rate notices as councils pass on this new cost to ratepayers,” Mr Draper said.
“Tamworth Regional Council has already spent $170,000 upgrading street lights to LED technology, so we will feel that in our rate notices as well.
“More alarmingly, Essential Energy has been heavily subsidised by Endeavour and Transgrid, a situation that will immediately stop once a partial privatisation is in place.”
Essential Energy has some 800,000 customers that are mainly residential, spread across the vast bulk of NSW.
“Country residents have the right to access affordable and reliable electricity supply,” Mr Draper said.
“Unfortunately, once the sale is completed, there will no longer be a Community Service Obligation placed on the new owners of our power assets and I share fears that both cost and reliability will be compromised.”
Mr Draper has also expressed disappointment that Lake Coal, the current owners of Chain Valley Bay Coal Mine, was awaiting final government approval for their sale to a Chinese company.
“Lake Coal provide coal to the three Central Coast electricity generators so if approved, a foreign company will determine the price paid by NSW electricity generators. Another Chinese company is the favoured bidder for the NSW government’s privatisation of the poles and wires in this state,” Mr Draper said.
“If a foreign company is determining the price of coal provided to state power generators and a foreign company controls the distribution through the poles and wires currently owned by our government, what on earth do the Nationals think will actually happen to prices to the consumer?” Mr Draper asked.