Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Energy spokesperson
Almost two years after it began, the public still doesn’t know how much money the Basslink crisis cost Tasmanians. Basslink lost at least $40 million due to the rupture of the cable, while its only customer, Hydro Tasmania, spent tens of millions of dollars on diesel generators and other measures to stave off an energy emergency.
Recently appointed Energy Minister Guy Barnett has an opportunity to set the record straight. How much did Hydro Tasmania spend? How much has it recovered from the Basslink parent company Keppel Holdings? Have Hydro and Basslink reached an agreement on a new contract? Does Basslink remain in danger of defaulting on its loans? Does the Minister have a contingency plan in such a case, or in the case of another cable failure?
Tasmanians deserve to know how much the mismanagement of our energy resources has cost them, and whether Minister Barnett has a handle on his new ministry.