State Cabinet has approved a plan by Energex and Ergon Energy to spend $2.7 billion between now and 2006, to improve services to customers.
The spending plans are part of a detailed Implementation Plan which the government says delivers on every one of the 44 recommendations of the Independent Review Panel which examined Queensland's electricity distribution system.
"The Implementation Plan deals with improvements to reliability, introducing minimum service standards and rebates, improving network capacity, better information for customers, a bigger workforce and more efficient monitoring and reporting of the corporations' performance," said Beattie
"The spending of $2.7 billion over two years is about a billion dollars more than for the past two years and compares with an average of $880 million a year over the past three years.
Additionally Premier Peter Beattie has reshuffled his cabinet to create a stand-alone Minister for Energy to concentrate on implementing the Action Plan.
"I have appointed John Mickel to spend all his time focussing on Queensland's power needs and ensuring the 44 recommendations of the Independent Review Panel are implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible," said Beattie.
"It is essential that the Government has someone who can concentrate solely on dealing with the Action Plan for Queensland Electricity Distribution which Cabinet approved today.”
Finally, as part of the recommendations, Energex and Ergon Energy are aiming to increase their staff numbers by more than 10% over the next two years.
"We are making sure the money is available to fix problems identified by the independent panel - but a major problem the companies face is finding the extra people needed to do the work," said Beattie.
Energex plans to increase its workforce from 2,530 at June 30 this year to 2,815 by June 2006, with field officers and apprentices rising from 1,369 to 1,599 and office workers from 1,161 to 1,216.
Ergon plans to increase its workforce from 4,841 to 5,300 in the same period, with field officers and apprentices rising from 2,384 to 2,850 and office workers decreasing from 2,457 to 2,450.
