A united community voice is demanding an end to high electricity prices in regional Queensland, with the Arc Up campaign targeting the state government’s use of Ergon Energy and Powerlink as “cash cows”.
Arc Up is fighting for an immediate reduction of electricity prices for all Ergon consumers by a minimum 33 per cent followed by a complete review of the current pricing practices with the overall goal of returning Queensland to being the state that has the cheapest power in Australia.
The campaigns joint spokesperson Debra Burden said affordable electricity will send a clear message that Queensland is open for business.
“It will mean jobs jobs jobs for regional Queenslanders,” Ms Burden said.
Government regulator the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) is recommending electricity price increases in July for large and small business, farmers and households, with the largest rise set to be up to 11.5pc.
The Chair of the QCA Professor Roy Green stated on radio recently that under the current pricing process “prices are not going down in the near future”.
“The Arc Up campaign is demanding immediate action from the Palaszczuk Government, which rode into victory in 2015 on the promise of keeping energy assets in public ownership,” Ms Burden said.
“The state owns 100pc of both Ergon Energy and Powerlink, which runs the electricity transmission network,” she said.
“As the 100pc owner the government has the power to drop prices by 33pc today.”
She said last financial year the Queensland government stripped $3.2 billion dollars in dividends from Ergon and Powerlink.
“The Government has used electricity as a cash cow for too long and in doing so has damaged the economy, cost jobs and negatively impacted the voters of Queensland.
“Our united group is instigating the Arc Up campaign for the benefit of all consumers in regional Queensland.”
State Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth has thrown his support behind the campaign by sponsoring a Private Member’s Bill in State Parliament.
“But this Bill will not pass unless there is strong and loud support from the community,” Ms Burden said.
“So come on regional Queenslanders, arc up if you’re sick of unaffordable electricity by adding your voice to the ARCUPQld Facebook page #arcup
