By JONATHON HOWARD
NOOSA residents continue to express outrage at what they are calling “exorbitant” power and water prices as the masses begin to gather.
Semi-retired Noosa man Ken Gamble appeared on page 3 of last week’s Noosa Today (11 September) demanding an explanation from the Minister for Energy and Water Mark McArdle.
Mr Gamble said he was fed up with the “political spin” and he had demanded straight and honest answers – which, he said, residents could handle.
Since the article, several Noosa residents have applauded Mr Gamble’s comments and have highlighted their own power bill hikes.
Noosa resident Jim Green said he was slugged with what he said were excessive termination charges when he moved to Noosa recently.
Mr Green said the processing fees, line charges, termination charges, supply charges and finally actual power usage charges, were ridiculous.
Mr Green said he had written to both Member for Noosa Glen Elmes MP and Minister McArdle to flag his concerns.
“I ran my own $12 million company and if I had the audacity to charge a processing fee, I would collect an extra supposedly $96,000, but my customers would have told me to go and jump,” he wrote.
“How can a company which has a monopoly be allowed to charge what they want?
“Years ago when I had a gas account, we could never get over the minimum charge of around $10 – tell me how the supply charge is more than the usage?
“I believe if your government doesn’t, or prospective governments do not address this problem, it will be their undoing as there is so much disquiet in the community about the energy companies. Our average combined bill in Brisbane was around $460 a month, not long ago this was the cost of a monthly mortgage.”
Meanwhile, fellow Noosa resident Peter Barrett has also entered the debate, urging people power at the ballot box.
“On electricity prices, the “service charge” is massively impacted by renewable energy subsidies – especially rooftop solar – plus electrical union featherbedding, and the “profit” the government decides the power utilities will hand over each year,” Mr Barrett said.
“On water bills, the ‘service charge’ includes the long-running repayment of the $8 billion plus interest the Beattie Government wasted on now disused and rusting desalination plants and water grid pipelines, the expensive new water utilities’ bureaucracies, public sector union featherbedding, and the inevitable customer-gouging government mandated ‘profit’.
“Voters really should be asking why Government-owned monopoly utilities are allowed to generate profits from customers when there are no alternative providers. Surely, cost plus necessary capital investment is more equitable.
“And considering the rip-offs listed above, maybe voters should really be more careful who they vote for.”
GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS: Are you concerned about the rising cost of power and water? Send your thoughts and letters to Newsdesk@noosatoday.net.au
