❓ Mr. Grylls questions the Minister for Energy regarding off-peak electricity tariffs for regional customers, particularly concerning the Esperance bakery. The Minister confirms the intent but emphasizes practicality and avoids specific commitments pending a corporation assessment.
AnsweredQoN 631Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the minister’s media statement of 13 October in which he accused members of the National Party of providing misinformation about off-peak tariffs for regional electricity customers outside the main grid. (1) Will the minister confirm that it is the intent of amendment 12 of the Electricity Corporations Bill to provide access to off-peak rates where it is practicable? (2) Given that I raised the case of the Esperance bakery during debate on the bill in this chamber on Thursday 22 September, will the minister confirm that customers in the town of Esperance will have access to off-peak rates? (3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(1) Will the minister confirm that it is the intent of amendment 12 of the Electricity Corporations Bill to provide access to off-peak rates where it is practicable? (2) Given that I raised the case of the Esperance bakery during debate on the bill in this chamber on Thursday 22 September, will the minister confirm that customers in the town of Esperance will have access to off-peak rates? (3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(2) Given that I raised the case of the Esperance bakery during debate on the bill in this chamber on Thursday 22 September, will the minister confirm that customers in the town of Esperance will have access to off-peak rates? (3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(1) Will the minister confirm that it is the intent of amendment 12 of the Electricity Corporations Bill to provide access to off-peak rates where it is practicable? (2) Given that I raised the case of the Esperance bakery during debate on the bill in this chamber on Thursday 22 September, will the minister confirm that customers in the town of Esperance will have access to off-peak rates? (3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(2) Given that I raised the case of the Esperance bakery during debate on the bill in this chamber on Thursday 22 September, will the minister confirm that customers in the town of Esperance will have access to off-peak rates? (3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(3) Will the minister provide the National Party with a list of communities outside the south west interconnected system that will be able to access off-peak power rates? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question and assure him that I was intending to make it quite clear that the passage of that legislation did not automatically open up off-peak tariff rates wherever they were requested or required, which I thought was the tenor of the National Party’s statement to the community and raised false expectations. In his own question he used the very germane words “where it is practicable”. That was quite clearly the intent of the legislation and is a message that has to be conveyed to those communities so that a whole series of unreal expectations do not arise in remote and rural centres of Western Australia. That is why that statement was put out by my office. To answer the member’s question - (1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(1) Yes. (2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
(2)-(3) I made it clear during the parliamentary debate that off-peak pricing for regional areas outside the main grid would become available only where it is practicable to do so. I expect that when the new corporation is established it will assess the potential to supply customers with off-peak tariffs where it is possible to do so, and I would encourage it in that direction - not against that direction, but in that direction. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt that evaluation by the corporation.
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