UnionsWA has commented on the recent release by the Australian Bureau of Statistics of new data on energy costs for homes and cars shows that WA and working people in general face high costs.
Meredith Hammat, Secretary of UnionsWA said:
“This new data from the ABS shows that the daily commute between home and work is particularly costly for working people, and especially so in WA.
“The need for greater investment in WA on public transport and public roads could not be clearer.
“Instead promised improvements to roads and public transport are being delayed and the recent State Budget increased car licence and insurance fees as well as increasing public transport fares.
“The ABS data shows that at $63 per week the energy costs for running a car in WA are the highest of any state in Australia. As with the NT, where car energy costs are even higher, distances in WA are a factor.
“All the more reason to reduce energy costs where we can by investing in public roads and public transport in Perth.
“At an average cost of $74 per week nationally households that rely on wages and salaries incur much higher car energy costs than households that rely on business income or government support which were $63 and $31 per week respectively.
“At present home energy costs are estimated by the ABS to be $36 per week in WA, slightly lower than the national average mostly due to a warmer climate. But the news ahead for home energy costs is set to get worse with the State Budget increasing electricity costs by 4% from 2013-14 and the year after that by another 7%.
“It is working people and others on low incomes that struggle the most to meet these energy costs.
“It is the role of State Government to manage our energy supplies and transportation systems to ensure that these costs are sustainable.
“Not enough is being done.”
Notes and further information:
4670.0 - Household Energy Consumption Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2012 is available at:
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4670.0Main+Features12012?OpenDocument
Figures above for the car energy costs for wage and salary earners are drawn from HECS Summary Tables file, Table 8, available from the ‘Downloads’ section of the ABS site (location above). Figures cited above for WA are drawn from the ‘Summary of Findings’ tab also available from the location given above.
