Tuesday, 29 August 2023

Power saving bonus

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (19:03): (313) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Energy and Resources, and the action I seek is for the minister to urgently extend the power saving bonus to provide cost-of-living relief for families and businesses who are really struggling with rising cost-of-living expenses and particularly the skyrocketing power bills that we are seeing right across the state. In fact I have had businesses who have come to me saying they have had an increase in their power bills of around 30 per cent. This is something they simply cannot absorb, and they are wondering why on earth the Labor government have had a policy about renewables but have not moved quickly enough and on the other side have reduced supply. They have shut down coal-fired power stations, and they have cut down gas energy in the state. There is less supply, it is pushing up prices and it is businesses and families who are paying the price for that.

I know that the $250 power saving bonus has made an enormous difference to so many people across my electorate, and I would like to give a shout-out to all of the neighbourhood houses right across my electorate who are providing needed support, particularly for older people and pensioners who are not computer literate, who need that additional set of helping hands to help them to apply for that power saving bonus. The $250 has made such a big difference to so many people who simply are looking at otherwise not being able to heat their homes over winter and are turning off the fridge at certain times of day. It really does make a massive difference to them.

I would particularly like to give a shout-out to Charlie at Horsham Neighbourhood House. Charlie has been a breath of fresh air in the Horsham Neighbourhood House. He is an amazing human being, and he is really giving back to a community which is new to him, providing so many supports to people who otherwise would not be connected to the wider Horsham community and even helping them to learn new skills, new tips and tricks and of course to apply for things like the power saving bonus, which helps to take the pressure off the day-to-day living expenses. I really think it is important that the government do extend the power saving bonus. It expires this Thursday at midnight. I would urge anybody in my electorate who has not yet applied for the power saving bonus through this round to immediately get online, contact my office if they like, or their local neighbourhood house, and make sure that they are getting that additional financial support to help take the pressure off those rising living expenses.

Just to bring it back to my adjournment matter, we really need to see this ongoing. We are seeing so many additional costs put on families and businesses at this point in time – it is the wrong time for this program to come to an end. There is no other program that is more important at this point in time for every Victorian than for the power saving bonus to continue. I would like the government to consider having it automatically applied to power bills, and also to look at increasing that level. In fact for pensioners in Western Australia, they get $1000 on their power saving bonus. So please, I urge the Minister for Energy and Resources to extend the urgently needed power saving bonus.