The O’Farrell Government’s decision to sell off the State’s Mt Piper and Wallerawang power stations for just $160 million is the latest in a long line of privatisation broken promises, the NSW Opposition said today.
The sale is the next step towards full scale electricity privatisation in NSW – which will send bills skyrocketing for households and businesses.
“The public shouldn’t forget Barry O’Farrell and Mike Baird voted against selling off the State’s power generators in 2008,” Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley said today.
“In 2011, the Premier said he had absolutely no plan to privatise the generators or the poles and wires.
“This is just the latest in a now very long line of State assets sold off by the O’Farrell Government.
“In addition to the electricity generators and meters, Mr O’Farrell has sold off Port Botany, Port Kembla, the desalination plant, heritage assets and is in the process of privatising the Port of Newcastle.
“This Government is selling off anything that isn’t bolted down, with no view to the impact this will have on the State’s long term revenue streams in the future.
“It is obvious the Government’s next step will be full scale electricity privatisation, which we know sent energy prices soaring by 130 per cent in Victoria when the same thing was done there.
“The average NSW energy bill has already risen by $629 or 42.6 per cent since Barry O’Farrell came to office.
“We don’t want to see the same thing occur here.”
Barry O’Farrell on the record:
“We have absolutely no plans to privatise either the generators or the poles and wires”
(Barry O’Farrell, Lithgow 28th January 2011)
MEDIA CONTACT: MICHAEL DALEY 0418161452
