Minister for Energy and Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor says the Coalition Government will drive down power prices which are forcing Hume businesses to “breaking point”.

Local business leaders attending a breakfast in Goulburn on Friday with Mr Taylor and Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories, Sussan Ley, said power prices were their biggest roadblock to development.

Wollondilly Constructions’ Rohan Geale: “Energy costs are horrific. I’ve had to pay a $75,000 bill to the energy provider just to install a bigger transformer at a local development site. I have tenants who need help with energy costs as well; it impacts all parts of my business.”

Southern Meats’ Craig Newton: “I believe I’d be the biggest energy user in the Goulburn district. We’re spending upwards of $230,000 a month on energy, particularly gas. Doesn’t matter what we do, the bills keep going up.”

Woodlands Ridge Poultry’s Eddie Wehbe: “We keep trying to re-invent ways of saving energy, but we’ve run out of options. Energy costs are at breaking point; it’s almost unsustainable to power our already energy efficient facilities.”

Mr Taylor said Government would drive down power prices by:

• stopping energy companies from price gouging
• providing customers with a price safety net, and
• backing investment in reliable generation.

“Our plan is to lower prices, to phase out expensive subsidies paid by taxpayers for unreliable energy and to keep the lights on,” Mr Taylor said.

“Labor wants to stuff the system with intermittent generation, forcing the closure of reliable base-load generation. Australians will pay higher power bills under Labor and will be left in the dark.”