Sparks fly after report
Agriculture ‘left off the table’ says farmer
RURAL and regional communities across Queensland are feeling betrayed after Queensland agriculture was snubbed in a draft report recommending reductions to regional electricity prices.
Canegrowers vice chairman Allan Dingle is a cane farmer and irrigator located in Bundaberg. His cane farm under irrigation is 100 hectares and he harvests approximately 8,000 tonnes of cane a year.
Mr Dingle describes the current power prices as another cost and burden that farmers are being asked to fulfil by the government.
Although there has been good rain in recent months, he also said farmers are reluctant to irrigate.
“You’re reluctant to irrigate when you should irrigate and consequently productivity and profitability falls away because power prices are just completely out of reach,” he said.
“We use power for our shed operations, machinery maintenance, to pump water to livestock and household as well.
“It’s at the point now, where it’s unsustainable.”
Mr Dingle said the snub in the draft report was “very disappointing” and it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“We’ve been on this bandwagon for about eight or nine years now,” he said.
“Since then, the price of electricity has increased about 130 per cent or a little bit better over that time.
“For whatever reason, agriculture has just been left off the table and I don’t understand why.” A decline in local businesses has been noticed by Mr Dingle and said the power prices are to blame.
“I think about 600 businesses closed down last year and some of those were agricultural,” he said.
“They’ve closed because they cannot afford the price of electricity.
“We’ve tried almost everything but the government is just pretty much ignoring us, to the extent where they’re just thinking agriculture can foot the bill.”
Cane farmers aren’t the only ones who have been hurt by the snub with it being felt across the board in other industries who irrigate their crops. Queensland Farmers’ Federation president Stuart Armitage said while the price drop for regional households and some small businesses was good, the shafting of state farms was unacceptable. “It seems that the Queensland Government has picked its winners, and it is not irrigated agriculture,” he said.
“Irrigation electricity tariffs in Queensland have risen a minimum of 136 per cent over the past decade, and for some more than 200 per cent, while CPI has increased by just 24 per cent over the same period.
“Government must act to deliver price relief now and offer suitable tariffs for the future or broader consequences like exports and local supply will be impacted.”
❝Since then, the price of electricity has increased about 130 per cent or a little bit better over that time.
— Allan Dingle