When Energy is Unaffordable, Everything is Unaffordable. Cane Farmer Peter Doyle on the Real Cost of Power

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, has highlighted the real and growing cost of electricity for regional Australians, following a visit to Balnagowan cane farmer Peter Doyle on his property near Mackay.

Despite doing everything expected of him, investing in solar panels, actively seeking the best available tariffs, and carefully managing irrigation schedules to reduce usage, Mr Doyle says his effective electricity costs have doubled in recent years.

“It’s getting dearer constantly, even though I’m trying way harder to save power,” Mr Doyle said.

He shared power bills with Mr Willcox, showing that his average power cost had doubled.

For cane farmers, electricity use is not discretionary. Irrigation is governed by wind conditions and evaporation, not just price signals. Large sprinklers cannot be run efficiently during the day when wind causes water loss, while late night-time operation is often impractical and disruptive.

“For cane farmers, when the wind stops is when we need to irrigate,” Mr Doyle said.

“You can’t just wait for the cheap tariff at nine at night. You’d never get to bed.”

Electricity is now one of the most significant input costs on-farm, alongside diesel, fertiliser, and contracting. Yet policy settings continue to prioritise shielding household bills, leaving farmers exposed.

“Governments won’t disadvantage households to help a farmer. That’s just reality,” Mr Doyle said.

Mr Willcox said Peter Doyle’s experience is being repeated across regional Australia.

“Peter is working harder than ever to cut costs, but his power bill keeps rising,” Mr Willcox said.

“Imagine every farmer across the country facing the same pressure, and then remember that those costs flow straight through to families at the checkout.

“This is why the Coalition’s energy plan is about cheaper, better, and fairer power. Affordable electricity, responsible action, and protecting regional jobs and communities.”

Mr Willcox raised Mr Doyle’s case directly in the House of Representatives, using it to illustrate the broader failure of Labor’s energy policy.

“I stood in a field of sugarcane and saw a man pouring his heart and sweat into the land,” Mr Willcox told Parliament.

“Despite doing everything right, Peter Doyle is shackled by soaring electricity bills that punish hard work and ambition. He has invested heavily in solar. He chases every tariff and every saving available. Yet his power bills keep rising.”

“When electricity is unaffordable, everything is unaffordable.”

Mr Willcox said farmers who should be focused on feeding the nation are instead forced to manage energy use like a second full-time job, with the consequences felt by every Australian consumer.

“That is not fair, and it is not sustainable,” he said.

In Question Time, Mr Willcox asked the Minister for Climate Change and Energy directly when power prices will be reduced, as the Albanese government promised Australians before the last election.

Instead of a clear answer, Mr Willcox said the Minister repeated claims that renewables are the cheapest form of energy and pointed to a three-hour “free power” policy in the middle of the day, a measure that does not apply in regional Queensland and offers little benefit to irrigators like Mr Doyle.

“That response shows how disconnected Labor’s policy is from the reality faced by regional Australia,” Mr Willcox said.

“Farmers like Peter are paying the price for a system that is broken. Every Australian who buys food feels the impact. Yet the Government refuses to acknowledge that power prices are out of control.”

Mr Willcox warned that Labor’s approach is gambling with Australia’s energy security, encouraging higher prices, instability, and increased risk of blackouts by failing to prioritise reliable, dispatchable power.

“Australia deserves better than an energy plan built on hope and good weather,” he said.

A Better Way Forward

Mr Willcox said the Coalition offers a clear, practical alternative to deliver affordable, reliable energy while protecting jobs and communities.

The Coalition’s energy plan includes:

• A balanced energy mix, combining renewables, gas, hydro, storage, coal, and zero-emissions nuclear to deliver stable, affordable power while reducing the need for costly new transmission lines.

• An Affordable Electricity Scheme, ensuring least-cost generation and supporting investments that lower wholesale prices for households and small businesses.

• Least-cost reliability for the long term, keeping dependable generation in the system until proven, affordable alternatives are available, protecting Australians from higher prices and instability.

• Lifting the moratorium on nuclear, allowing Australia to join other advanced economies in adopting next-generation, zero-emissions nuclear energy to provide dependable baseload power.

• Australian gas for Australians, securing domestic gas supply to support households, manufacturing, and regional jobs while stabilising energy markets.

• Putting communities first, requiring genuine social licence for energy projects and transmission infrastructure so development strengthens, rather than divides, regional communities.

“Our plan abandons Labor’s failed approach that has driven prices up and left regional Australians behind,” Mr Willcox said.

“There is a cheaper, fairer, and better way — and it starts by listening to people like Peter Doyle, who are doing everything right and still being punished by a broken system.”

ENDS

Caption: Andrew Willcox MP with Dawson cane farmer Peter Doyle on his farm near Mackay, taking a firsthand look at how soaring electricity prices are hurting regional producers who are doing everything right, yet still paying more just to keep the pumps running.

Contact: Amanda Wright | Media & Communications Adviser
P | 07 4944 0662   M | 0455 456 705   E | Amanda.Wright@aph.gov.au