By JONATHON HOWARD
NOOSA residents are fuming over recent increases to their power bills and the answers they are receiving from politicians to justify the hikes are only fuelling the rage.
Residents are now throwing the “party line” back in the face of LNP ministers and demanding they provide them with “honest answers”.
Noosa resident Ken Gamble said he was fed up with what he believed to be “political lies” and he wants the power Ombudsman to investigate the LNP’s whooping 67 per cent increase to power service line charges, as well as increases to his overall usage.
“It’s about time the government came clean on its power charges and told consumers where this money is going,” he said.
“We’re asking for honesty, that’s something we can handle – if it’s bad news that’s okay, just give it to us straight.”
Mr Gamble said he found several discrepencies in the charging rates on his bill to those published in the power usage charge gazzette document, approved by the State Government.
Mr Gamble is semi-retired and lives on a small pension, but his power bill increased by $100 for this quarter and there’s future increases on the horizon.
“The government wants more money for food and services, more for power and water, more for fuel, where are the explanations for these hikes, especially when there’s very few new jobs being created and small businesses are suffering,” he said.
Noosa Today has also received several complaints from residents that Centrelink employees are telling job seekers that the Sunshine Coast and Noosa are the toughest places in Queensland to find a job.
“This has gone on for too long, it’s about time the residents rallied together again and called for fairness and transparency from politicians and not the party line,” he said.
Noosa Today put Mr Gamble’s questions and concerns, as well as several other residents’ concerns including questions from Noosa Greens Party candidate Joe Shlegeris, to the Minister for Energy and Water Mark McArdle MP.
