Official figures showing an increase in blackouts in NSW show that Labor’s Morris Iemma and Joe Tripodi cant be trusted to keep the lights Anthony Roberts MP, Member for Lane Cove, said today.

Families and businesses in our area are wondering when the next balackout will be, based on Labor’s worsening electricticy reliability record.

After 12 years, its getting worse, and families and businesses are paying the price with damaged goods, lost work time, and great inconvenience to families’, said Mr Roberts.

Official figures show Joe Tripodi is mismanaging our NSW electricity supply, with:

• Country Energy’s urban customers blacked out for between 105 minutes and 610 minutes a year on average depending on their location;
• Integral Energy’s blackout figures got worse, up to 96 minutes a year, and;
• Energy Australia customers were in darkness for 103 minutes on average, in the 2005 – 06 year.

Anthony Roberts MP said some people were forced to fork out their own money to buy back-up generators to ensure supply because Labor can’t.

‘The Opposition has been told by businesses, and people who rely on medical and life support equipment at home that they have spent thousands on home generators’, said Mr Roberts.

“Labor admitted in September that electricity prices would rise next year, but the extent of the price hike won’t be revealed until next April – after the State election.

Mr Roberts said the latest blackout figures were a result of a lack of investment in the electricity network.

“Sydney Labor is ripping $744 million in dividends this year out of our energy utilities – and now country communities are paying the price,” Mr Roberts said.