In a letter dated 19 May to the LGAQ, Energy Queensland CEO David Smales said, “I see street lights as assets that will remain with Energy Queensland as a Government Owned Corporation.”
That brings the LGAQ’s formal bid to purchase or lease the State’s street light network to an end - and with it the hope of providing every Queensland street with LED lights and an ‘array of things’ within a five-year time frame.
The LGAQ’s proposal was for a state-wide world class system that would reduce electricity consumption by at least 40 percent and in turn offer many other citizen friendly, cost saving initiatives. Any profits from this system would have gone into improving services or providing direct cash dividends to member councils.
As it stands Energy Queensland, who have no incentives to reduce electricity consumption given their retail nature, will do a ‘dribs and drabs model’ rollout across the state and in our estimation, will not be universal in coverage inside a decade, if ever. Worse still, any profits will be retained by the State Government.
The Association’s bid was twice unanimously endorsed by the SEQ Council of Mayors and once by the full LGAQ Policy Executive.
Our submission was highly professional and well canvassed within Government.
We gave it our best shot; Queensland is the loser from this short-sighted decision. Moreover, councils will see this decision for what it is.