The shameless scaremongering by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and Stop the Sell Off on the lease of the poles and wires is a timely reminder of their sheer self-interest and hypocrisy in this debate (“Power shock: Privatisation fears after no new apprentices taken on this year”, The Northern Daily Leader, August 14).

 The postponement of new apprenticeships is completely understandable when you consider the current operating environment for Essential Energy. 

The Australian Energy Regulator – which is responsible for approving how much revenue Australia’s energy network companies can recover over five-year terms –  is currently determining Essential Energy’s revenue allowance for 2014-19.

Anyone with a bit of business sense would appreciate that there is simply no point in hiring new apprentices until Essential Energy has certainty about how much revenue it can collect from consumers, and therefore how much it can spend over the next five years.

 With the government committed to keeping Essential Energy in public hands, it’s time to stop jumping at privatisation shadows and start to debate the benefits and the opportunities that leasing other parts of the electricity network will provide.  

Both the Productivity Commission and the ACCC have recommended private ownership of electricity network assets, given it has worked well in Victoria and South Australia, and led to lower network prices for consumers. 

 The lease of the poles and wires presents a massive opportunity to get infrastructure projects moving – a benefit conveniently overlooked by the ETU.

The lease of these assets will give NSW $20 billion for new infrastructure, including $6 billion that must be invested in regional areas.

New England residents should be focused on how we can get our fair share of this $6 billion –  to make our roads safer, to get our goods to market more quickly and cheaply, and to improve our health, education and community infrastructure.