Power ‘ ATM’ costs North

THE State Government has been accused of using its electricity assets like “ATMs” at the expense of North Queenslanders struggling to pay their power bills.

In a question on notice to Energy Minister Anthony Lynham, Traeger MP Robbie FARMERS’ safety will be under the microscope during a three- day conference in Townsville in a bid to reduce the industry’s shocking rate of workplace deaths.

Only 3 per cent of Queenslanders work on farms but the industry represents 30 per cent of workplace deaths.

From today, James Cook University will host a meeting of experts to discuss how farming can be made safer.

JCU Associate Professor Richard Franklin chairs the Farmsafe Conference Committee, which this week will discuss the theme “innovative, safe and healthy”.

“We’ll be looking at … farm health and safety and the great innovations which are helping improve and shape farming,” he said.

Keynote speakers will discuss avoiding catching diseases from animals, disposing of animal waste safely, the use of chemicals, electrical safety and drowning prevention.

Dr Franklin said the first day in one of the conference rooms would be devoted solely to quad bike safety.

“In the first nine months of 2017, 45 people died due to quad bike accidents on farms and 144 were injured,” he said.

The conference will run from today until October 5 at the Ville Resort. Katter asked if the Government would commit to write down the value of state- owned “poles and wires” to provide relief for struggling business owners and households.

But in his response Dr Lynham said reducing the value of the state’s electricity network assets was unlikely to provide a “quick fix” to energy prices.

In June a report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said a voluntary Government writedown of the asset base could result in savings of $ 100 a year for the average residential customer.

The report estimated the network charges, or “pole and wires”, make up about 40 per cent of household electricity bill.

Mr Katter said the accounting standards used by the Government equated to using the electricity assets to generate income rather than stimulate the economy.

“It’s like having sophical approach a to philothese assets of using them as ATMs rather than industry enablers,” he said.

Mr Katter said while downgrading the value of the assets could harm the Government’s budget it would “really help” homeowners and business.

“Our belief is that money is much better spent being put back in the pockets of the homeowner and industry rather than government,” he said.

Dr Lynham said the continued focus on an “arbitrary” reduction in the value of government- owned assets did not consider the “potentially significant” negative impacts for all Queensland customers.

“These ( impacts) include increasing investment risk and, therefore, costs and consequently increasing electricity prices,” he said.

“Writedowns also do not remove the debt that needs to be paid back to cover the investment which has already been made in the long- term interests of Queensland customers who want a depend- able, safe and secure electricity network.”

Dr Lynham said the Government had “time and time again” demonstrated public ownership of the Queensland energy businesses delivered benefits to customers. He said the Government had acted “decisively” to put downward pressure on network costs.

LNP environment spokesman David Crisafulli said ignoring the ACCC recommendation was “unfair on residents”.