6 June 2017
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has welcomed the State Government’s commitment to making energy central in its $1.16 billion pre-Budget ‘Powering Queensland Plan’.
The ‘Powering Queensland Plan’ is designed to ensure affordable, secure and sustainable energy supply for Queensland homes, businesses and industry and including a $386 million plan to strengthen and diversify North Queensland’s energy and water supply and a $770m investment to cover the cost of the Solar Bonus Scheme.
QFF President, Stuart Armitage welcomed the government’s commitments to address the issues of increasing electricity costs and security of supply, but reserved judgment until real price relief arrived in the form of lower electricity costs for all regional businesses.
“It is encouraging, but frustrating at the same time, that the government has demonstrated that it has the power to intervene in a broken system to address electricity prices – something QFF has argued for a long time,” said Mr. Armitage.
“QFF welcomes the initiatives including moves to secure more gas supply and, in turn, gas powered generation as we move to decarbonize the economy and to ensure security of supply as renewables play a more important role across Queensland.”
“The acknowledgment and actions to address issues around sourcing and bidding on the national electricity market to supply Queensland also makes sense including the move to change the Stanwell Corporation’s bidding practices in the National Energy Market with the intention to achieve lower wholesale prices.”
“Any efforts that begin to apply downward pressure on electricity prices in rural and regional Queensland are a step in the right direction.”
“The financial pressure faced by Queensland businesses due to high and unsustainable electricity prices is now beyond crisis level. Figures released by the Australian Energy Regulator shows the number Queensland businesses being disconnected for non-payment from December 2016 to March 2017 increased by a shocking by 73 per cent.”
The announcement comes after QFF and industry members were dismayed at the Queensland Competition Authority’s (QCA) announcement of double-digit price increases and eagerly wait for the revised prices to be released by 16 June.
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