OPINION – ANNE WEBSTER
THE news of a 25 per cent rise in electricity prices for households and 29 per cent for small businesses from July 1 is another hit to family budgets and businesses.
Families, already struggling with skyrocketing mortgage repayments and rents, will be put under more financial pressure as they struggle to make ends meet.
Businesses are reducing their productivity because energy bills are making it impossible to grow and manufacture to full capacity.
This is disgraceful and the blame lies squarely at the feet of the Albanese government, whose budgeted energy relief measures are failing to make an impact for many.
I spoke in Parliament recently about the energy price rises and what it means to businesses such as Mildura Fruit Juices Australia.
MFJA had to reduce its intake of grapes this season, due to the now-unviable energy costs to evaporate the grapes into concentrate following a $500,000 price hike in electricity.
They are continually investigating energy-efficiency options with little to no commercial alternatives available and very little government support.
These options include biofuel production, solar energy and other renewables, but to no avail as there are very few commercial alternatives to the energy required for steam generation and freezing.
MFJA would need the equivalent of nine soccer fields worth of solar panels to meet their needs.
When I raised the plight of MJFA in Question Time, I got a political response from the Prime Minister and his Energy Minister.
While the Prime Minister blamed the Coalition for voting against Labor’s energy policy, the fact is that Labor’s legislation did actually pass the parliament and yet, still energy prices continue to rise.
The Energy Minister was completely disrespectful to all those businesses who are drowning in energy costs – claiming an average energy price saving of $1670 for Victorian small businesses, while ignoring the real $500,000 price hike I raised in my question about the MFJA experience.
Businesses and families are hurting and this government is not helping.
