Letter to the editor

20 Oct 2016 10:36 AMMichael Hart

 

Letter to the editor

To ignore the warning from last month’s unprecedented state-wide power outages in South Australia would be foolish.

The fact is, the power was out before the transmission lines went down. The severe storms combined with an over-reliance on sustainable energy sources exposed South Australia’s alarming lack of energy security.

Queensland is facing the same fate if we continue to pursue Labor’s unrealistic 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target (RET) by 2030.

At 40 per cent, South Australia has one of the highest ratios of renewables to fossil fuel power generation in Australia. As a result, they also have one of the highest wholesale costs of electricity in the country.

 

Despite these red flags, Energy Minister Mark Baily wants to take Queensland’s reliance on renewables even further.

 

The last thing we want is our hospitals running out of power.

We can’t have our major manufacturing industries relying on intermittent power supply – and Queensland families shouldn’t be forced to get the candles out every month.

Labor’s 50 per cent target is not only irresponsible, it’s expensive.

The Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) has forecast that a 50 per cent target would lead to $10.8 billion in taxpayer subsidies and increase power bills for householders.

Labor’s target is also tipped to lead to $1.1 billion in losses for state-owned coal stations and could potentially lead to a carbon tax.

How can Queenslanders believe it will be “broadly cost neutral” when the overwhelming evidence suggests otherwise?

Annastacia Palaszczuk and Mark Bailey need to guarantee Queenslanders that their power bills won’t rise as a result of their policies – but they can’t.

The situation in South Australia should have been a wake-up call for the Palaszczuk Government. Instead they’re proceeding with ideologically-driven policies at the expense of what’s best for Queenslanders.

The LNP believes there is a clear role for the development of renewables in Queensland but it needs to be gradual to avoid runaway costs and it shouldn’t be at the expense of energy security.

 

Michael Hart

Shadow Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply