REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Tuesday August 24, 2004

QUEENSLAND Premier Peter Beattie reshuffled his front bench, appointing a standalone energy minister to tackle the state’s continuing power crisis.

First-time minister John Mickel gave up his current environment responsibilities and became the state’s energy minister, becoming the fifth energy minister in the Beattie Government’s then-six-year reign, after Tony McGrady, Terry Mackenroth, Paul Lucas and Stephen Robertson.

Mr Beattie also released details of a two-year, $2.7 billion action plan by the state’s power distribution companies Energex and Ergon Energy to fix the electricity network’s problems.

However, he admitted that just $205 million of the $2.7 billion package was new money, including $187 million for Energex and $18 million for Ergon, with the remaining amount already committed in the 2004-05 State Budget.

To fund the increased expenditure levels, Cabinet agreed to allow the companies to retain their profits, previously handed back to the Government, and to provide any additional equity injections needed.

The state will also fund the industry’s community service obligations, ensuring electricity prices for domestic customers do not exceed inflation.

“We have a new minister, new equipment, new money and a new way forward,’’ said Mr Beattie.

“We have a very strong bottom line and we can afford it and we can fix it.”

Mr Mickel went on to serve as Speaker and retired in 2012.