❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Energy about a significant increase in complaints related to Synergy's billing system, referencing previous statements made by the Minister. The Minister deflects blame, citing implementation issues inherited from a predecessor.
AnsweredQoN 237Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SYNERGY —
BILLING SYSTEM — COMPLAINTS
237. Hon MATT BENSON-LIDHOLM to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the 680 per cent increase in complaints to Synergy
since the minister became the Minister for Energy.
(1) Does the
minister still insist that the Synergy billing system is a tremendous outcome
for Western Australia, as he told the house on 2 April, 2009?
(2) Does the
minister still insist that the Synergy billing system delivers business
efficiencies and savings and improved customer service, again as he told the
house on 2 April 2009?
BILLING SYSTEM — COMPLAINTS
237. Hon MATT BENSON-LIDHOLM to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the 680 per cent increase in complaints to Synergy
since the minister became the Minister for Energy.
(1) Does the
minister still insist that the Synergy billing system is a tremendous outcome
for Western Australia, as he told the house on 2 April, 2009?
(2) Does the
minister still insist that the Synergy billing system delivers business
efficiencies and savings and improved customer service, again as he told the
house on 2 April 2009?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1)–(2)
The billing system, as I have said before, was signed off by my predecessor in
this job—that is, Hon Fran Logan.
Hon Kate Doust : Yes, but you've watched over it
for the last four years!
Hon PETER COLLIER : Good try. It is part of that rich tapestry
of failure that I inherited in the energy sector. The billing system had and
continues to have significant issues in its implementation. From all accounts,
that is quite common in a billing system of that size. There are over a
million residential customers with a raft of different needs, different demands
and different locations, which themselves bring significant issues in the
implementation of a seamless system. Synergy has got to the point at which that
system is working; it is operating. Inevitably in a system with one million
customers there will be implementation issues, and Synergy has had
implementation issues. However, they have largely been ironed out—they
really have—and the billing system will be a much more sophisticated
and professional system than its predecessor.
question.
(1)–(2)
The billing system, as I have said before, was signed off by my predecessor in
this job—that is, Hon Fran Logan.
Hon Kate Doust : Yes, but you've watched over it
for the last four years!
Hon PETER COLLIER : Good try. It is part of that rich tapestry
of failure that I inherited in the energy sector. The billing system had and
continues to have significant issues in its implementation. From all accounts,
that is quite common in a billing system of that size. There are over a
million residential customers with a raft of different needs, different demands
and different locations, which themselves bring significant issues in the
implementation of a seamless system. Synergy has got to the point at which that
system is working; it is operating. Inevitably in a system with one million
customers there will be implementation issues, and Synergy has had
implementation issues. However, they have largely been ironed out—they
really have—and the billing system will be a much more sophisticated
and professional system than its predecessor.
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