School Education is just one area hit strongly by rising power prices, according to Member for Davidson, Jonathan O'Dea.
"In the same way that electricity prices are hitting family homes, they are also impacting on local school budgets, leaving less money available for specific educational needs," Mr O'Dea said.
"The State Government allocates schools Global funds to facilitate education programs, maintain school facilities and pay utilities.
However, more of that funding is now being taken up by skyrocketing power costs," he said.
President of the Killara High School Parents and Citizens Association, David Jordan said Killara High's electricity costs have risen almost $20,000 for the year ending 30 November 2010, to more than $95,000.
"The school could have bought 6 interactive white boards with this money; however these will now have to be paid for by parents.
"If these increased costs are replicated across the 2,000 public schools in NSW, then tens of millions of dollars are being diverted from education to simply pay for power. It is frustrating for parents to see funds diverted from school books to power companies which have been paying funds back to the State Government through record dividends." Mr Jordan said.
Mr O'Dea said the Killara High School Community should not have to divert important education funding into paying for hugely increasing power prices as a result of NSW Labor plundering power industry dividend payments. The dividends should have been reinvested into electricity infrastructure.
"Increased charges are also being levied on other public institutions, including hospitals and police stations, leaving less for important front-line services," he said.
"To further compound the matter, the State Labor Government has now sold off public energy assets and appears desperate to keep the details from public scrutiny, despite an Upper House Committee's efforts to investigate.
"While power to the people is becoming more expensive, the power of the people at the ballot box on 26 March gives every voter a free say on State Labor's performance, including its rising electricity costs," Mr O'Dea concluded.
