Hinchinbrook MP, Andrew Cripps, has called on Ergon to get on with fixing the problem with the Tully Coast Guard’s radio installation on top of Mount Mackay and stop fudging the facts.

Mr Cripps said the most recent public comments from an Ergon ‘spokesperson’ used some tricky language which was obviously designed to confuse the issue, rather than sorting it out.

“While Ergon has stated that the company did not purposely cut the power to the Tully Coast Guard’s radio installation at the site, the fact is the supply was cut off” said Mr Cripps.

“While Ergon has stated that it does not supply mains power to Mount Mackay, the fact is there is no mains power supply to the site whatsoever, so that’s not news to anyone” he said.

“The fact is the Tully Coast Guard’s radio installation has been connected to Ergon’s battery and solar panel supply at this site since 2001, for which the Tully Coast Guard has been grateful”.

“Ergon’s hierarchy may well have been oblivious to these arrangements, but that doesn’t justify its actions which resulted in the sudden loss of the Tully Coast Guard’s radio channels”.

Mr Cripps said while the spokesperson claimed that the company understood the important role undertaken by the Tully Coast Guard, its actions suggested that Ergon did not value it.

“The Tully Coast Guard tried very hard to sort this out with Ergon for years before it finally asked me to raise the issue in the Queensland Parliament, in the interests of public safety”.

“Instead of taking the issue of marine safety seriously, Ergon has done nothing but issue a series of denials and excuses and has failed to try and help get the radio channels working again”.

Mr Cripps appealed to Ergon on behalf of local boaties on the Cassowary Coast, to immediately re-establish the power supply to the Tully Coast Guard’s radio installation on Mount Mackay.