Qld: Oppn says power prices to rise 15.5 per cent
05 Jun 2009 4:17 PM
BRISBANE, June 5 AAP - Power bills are set to rise by 15.5 per cent, with the average Queensland household to pay an extra $250 in the coming year, the state opposition says.
Queensland's independent competition watchdog is expected to release its decision on retail power prices for the coming year on June 12.
But Deputy Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said he had been advised the rise would be 15.5 per cent from July 1.
"This will be an additional $250 on a average household power bill next year," Mr Springborg said.
"It is $500 extra on power bills since Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh privatised electricity retailing in Queensland."
Mr Springborg said the government had failed to live up to its promise of lower prices under a deregulated system.
"This government has thrown it to the chill winds of uncertainty and hasn't been able to stand up in the public interest," he said.
The price rise figure in the competition authorities' draft determination was 13.6 per cent, but retailers argued this was too low.
Resources Minister Stephen Robertson said price rises in other states had been between 15 and 20 per cent, but he would not speculate on the decision.
"What we are seeing right throughout Australia are significant increases in the cost of electricity as a result of costs in the inputs that go to the generation of electricity - increases in inputs such as coal, such as the cost of steel," he said.
Mr Robertson said the price rise needed to reflect the true cost of producing and distributing electricity.
