Albany MLA Scott Leary has backed a formal petition to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly calling on the Cook Labor Government to retain Albany’s reticulated LPG network and commit to a long-term energy solution for the city.
The petition is being led by Les Palmer, owner of Rustlers Steakhouse and Grill, one of hundreds of Albany businesses facing significant cost and disruption as a result of ATCO’s decision to exit the Albany gas market.
“Albany is the only comparable city in Western Australia without access to a regulated reticulated gas network,” Mr Leary said. “Every other major regional centre has that standard of infrastructure. What this Government is proposing for Albany is simply not good enough.”
The petition calls on the State Government to retain the existing network through public ownership, regulatory intervention, infrastructure funding or legislative action and to commit to ensuring Albany has access to the same standard of energy infrastructure as comparable communities across Western Australia.
Mr Leary said the consequences extended well beyond individual households.
“Businesses that cannot afford to transition will close, jobs will be lost, and Albany’s appeal as a place to live, work and visit will suffer. Tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, food production, these industries rely on affordable, reliable energy. Get this wrong and the impact on Albany’s economy and standard of living will be felt for decades.”
A ministerial response received this week confirmed the Government had no intention of acting.
“The Minister says this is a commercial matter relating to privately owned infrastructure and therefore beyond the Government’s remit,” Mr Leary said. “That is the Government accepting a private company’s decision without question and leaving Albany to carry the consequences alone and that is not good enough for a city of this size and significance.”
“The decisions made now will shape Albany’s economic future for generations. This community deserves a Government prepared to think seriously about what that future looks like.”