The Electrical Trades Union has warned that South Australia’s vulnerable power network is a preview of the kind of fragile system Queenslanders can expect in place under LNP plans to privatise state electricity assets.
The entire state of South Australia went into blackout over night when the state’s power network, operated by Hong Kong based private company Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings under the name SA Power Networks, failed due to damage to a single piece of infrastructure.
South Australian energy customers have since taken to social media angry at paying the highest electricity prices in Australia despite poor service delivery.
ETU Queensland and NT Energy Supply Industry Organiser Stuart Traill said the blackout was a preview of the kind of electricity network Tim Nicholls and the LNP would like to see in Queensland.
“This is exactly the kind of vulnerable network we can expect in Queensland if Tim Nicholls has his way and sells off our electricity assets,” he said.
“Queenslanders can expect the highest energy prices for the weakest, most vulnerable infrastructure.
“Selling off our electricity network to be run so poorly by private, offshore companies is clearly not a ‘Strong Choice’.”
Mr Traill said he hoped Mr Nicholls, the architect of the LNP’s unsuccessful asset sales campaign at the 2015 Queensland Election, would think twice about his privatisation plans in light of the blackout.
“As this blackout in South Australia has shown the maintenance of our electricity network is too important to be compromised by bean counters from private enterprise,” he said.
“Even Federal Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has said the situation in South Australia is ‘clearly not adequate’.
“Surely now Mr Strong Choices even realises what Queensland voters have been saying loud and clear – ‘our electricity assets need to stay in Queensland hands’.”
Further information please contact: Stuart Traill 0488 225 625 or Dan Nancarrow 0448 633 858