Page 973 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
January 1982 the first consumers commenced using natural gas. By the end of the year 118 large users and 1,020 domestic users were connected to the system. At the end of 1988 the company had 19,000 customers in the ACT.
Mr Speaker, when we investigate further down the line we find the situation of AGL is such that it is operating in the ACT without any legislative base whatsoever. We understand that there has been some exchange of letters but nothing of any real legal consequence. With this Government proposing to close this Assembly down for the best part of six to eight weeks, with some short sittings before the middle of October, and when one hears an argument that the Government needs time to get its Bills prepared, it is interesting to find a perfectly prepared gas ordinance prepared as far back as 1987.
This gas ordinance contains a number of provisions. The most important ones deal with the protection and safety of the consumer and people using Canberra streets where gas has been circulated. There are provisions in that well-drafted ordinance, Mr Speaker, dealing with the requirements for safety certificates and, more importantly, meter testing, not only for leaks but also for the adjustment of accounts. We are well aware that there is a weights and measures ordinance in the ACT, but of course what is the relevance of that to this new development? How do gas consumers know how their meterage is going? Who regulates the meters, who is checking on them, and the like?
I am sure AGL would like to be able to prove to consumers that their meters are spot on, that they are brand new equipment and that there are no problems. The fact is there is no regime there for this very large - I repeat, 19,000 consumers at the end of 1988 - market, and that raises a number of implications about this Government's resolve to attend to consumer affairs issues.
Mr Speaker, certainly this Government has been well briefed by its advisers and has been well aware of this situation since shortly after taking office. I believe, and am reliably informed, that AGL has had continuing discussions over the years with relevant officials on these issues.
The other issue that is dear to our hearts is that we need to protect and encourage investment in the ACT. We learn that a firm wishing to do business in the ACT - a perfume company, Estee Lauder - wanted to come into the Hume industrial area and wanted natural gas supplied for its space heating requirements because, as we are informed, gas space heating has a number of advantages over other forms in large areas, and indeed AGL, as we all know, constantly says that its pure gas residential cost is $350 less than the cost of running a house supplied by the government utility, ACTEA.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .