Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Senator Nash. Over recent months, I have met with businesses throughout regional Victoria about increasing their growth opportunities. Some of their key inhibitors which they have told me about have been their ability to access a reliable and affordable energy supply. Some have told me about price hikes of up to 30 per cent in their power bills over the last year. Other businesses have spoken about how much it costs their operating bottom line every time they have to switch from one supplier to another—tens of thousands of dollars. All of this affects their ability to grow and develop right throughout regional Victoria and, more importantly, it affects their ability to employ more people across regional Victoria. Could the minister update the Senate on recent developments to improve access to affordable and reliable energy sources?