THE Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber has welcomed the decision by Premier Mike Baird to sell 49 per cent of the electricity poles and wires should he be re-elected next year as a win for the state.
This is despite the fact that a recent survey showed the majority of Port Macquarie and Mid North Coast residents were not in favour of the move.
“The NSW Business Chamber has long supported the recycling of government assets to provide much needed funds for infrastructure, and that’s what the Premier has announced,” chamber regional manager Kellon Beard said.
“A good percentage of the funds raised will be spent in regional areas such as the Mid North Coast and that can only be good news for the community.
“Not only will this money be able to be spent on much needed projects, but these projects are job creators, and that’s what the Mid North Coast region is crying out for.
“Those new jobs will bring families into the region, which has the flow on impact across the business community, especially small businesses in towns across our region.”
A survey commissioned by the Stop The Sell Off Campaign earlier this month revealed opposition in the local community to the proposed privatisation of the electricity poles and wires.
Stop the Sell Off Campaign director Adam Kerslake said he was blown away by the overwhelming opposition in the Port Macquarie community to the privatisation of the electricity network, saying it should be a wake-up call for the NSW Government.
Three thousand voters in four key regional NSW electorates were surveyed, including Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Dubbo and Ballina.
In Port Macquarie, just 18 per cent of people said they supported the privatisation of the state-owned electricity poles and wires network, while 68 per cent were opposed.
Asked what impact they thought privatisation would have on power prices, 77.9 per cent said prices would increase, while just 6.9 per cent believed they would decrease.
Only 16.8 per cent said they would support a sale if the money was used to build roads and other infrastructure, while 79.9 per cent said the electricity network was an essential service that should be owned and operated by the State.
Essential Energy safe
MEMBER for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams has welcomed the agreement to lease 49 per cent of Sydney-based electricity networks in a partial privatisation of the industry.
Under the deal Transgrid, Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy will be leased to private enterprise. However, Essential Energy will remain completely in government ownership, which Mrs Williams says was a huge win for the Nationals, who were determined to protect the regional-based energy provider.
“This is particularly great news for the almost 900 Essential Energy employees based in Port Macquarie,” Mrs Williams said.
“It was vitally important that Essential Energy be protected from any lease arrangements and that local jobs were protected.
She said the $6 billion funding generated by the privatisation would be used for much needed major infrastructure improvements including $2 billion for roads, bridges and water quality projects throughout regional areas of the state.
