Wednesday, 12 November 2025

 Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) presented a petition bearing 22 signatures:

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that regulations in Victoria do not allow electricity smart meter communications capabilities to be disabled. According to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), the AER monitors and enforces the National Energy Retail Law (NERL) and Rules (NERR) in states and territories that have adopted the law (currently NSW, QLD, SA, the ACT and Tasmania). While the AER enforces the NERL & NERR in states and territories that have adopted that law, Victoria has not. Regarding electricity smart meters, under AER law, customers have the ‘right to request remote access capabilities be disabled after installation’. Concerning their digital water meter program, Coliban Water in Bendigo, advise that because their digital data loggers do not allow for the remote function to be disabled, customers can opt out of having the device installed. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency advises, ‘there are some epidemiological (population) studies that have reported a possible association between prolonged exposure to ELF [extremely low frequency] magnetic fields at levels below the exposure limits but higher than what is typically encountered and increased rates of childhood leukaemia’.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to change regulations in Victoria to allow electricity smart meter communications capabilities to be disabled.

Jeff BOURMAN: I move:

That the petition be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.