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Hoenig, Ron to the
Minister for Resources and Energy, Special Minister of State, and Minister for the Central Coast
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- How many calls were received on the Energy Information Hotline in
2011-12?
- What community welfare organisations were involved in the distribution of
Energy Accounts Payment Assistance in 2011-12?
- How many Energy Vouchers were issued in the period:
- June 2011 to December 2011?
- January 2012 to June 2012?
- How many vouchers were redeemed in 2011-12?
- How many requests for additional vouchers were received from Community
Welfare Organisations or other groups?
- When did vouchers available to Community Welfare Organisations run out?
- How many vouchers were unused at the end of June 2012?
- How many unissued vouchers are currently available in the Energy Accounts
Payment assistance scheme?
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Answer -
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- 2,747.
- to (8) The previous Government announced in 2009 an additional $55 million
in funding over five years to expand the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance
(EAPA) scheme yet never delivered on this promise.
In 2010, then Energy
Minister John Robertson dumped the scheme's announced expansion, reduced the
budget allocation and subsequently froze the scheme's budget.
This
Government has markedly increased the amount of assistance for energy
consumers. The 2012-13 Budget contains a $210 million assistance package to
help households with energy rising costs which will deliver rebates to over
940,000 eligible households.
The Government has also increased the 2012-13
funding allocation for the EAPA scheme.
Contrary to the Member's claim,
vouchers available to Community Welfare Organisations have not run out.
Further information on the EAPA scheme is available on the Division of Energy's
website.
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Question asked on 27 February 2013 (session 55-1)
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 137
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Answer received on 27 March 2013
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 148
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