ACTIONS, not words, are needed to restore confidence in the state's electricity network following revelations that hundreds more Essential Energy jobs will be cut in coming years.
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We already knew that Essential Energy planned to cut 182 jobs from its regional workforce - including eight in Bathurst - in an effort to "drive efficiencies in our business" and "deliver a better service at lower cost".
But we know now that those losses would be just the tip of the iceberg.
The Electrical Trades Union has released a confidential memo from Essential Energy that reveals plans to reduce the workforce by around 500 people over the next five years.
It's a staggering and startling number, and concerning for the regional communities that will be hit hard by the losses.
And those loses will be twofold.
First, there will be the impact of losing those incomes from communities that are already seeing money dry up because of the drought.
Those 500 workers set to be put out of work represent 500 families who shop at local businesses, send their kids to local schools and support local charities.
The lost jobs will have a detrimental flow-on effect throughout the community, with Bathurst again likely to be one of the areas hardest hit.
And then there will be the inevitable impact on service levels that must come from so many job losses.
Cutting 500 workers must surely mean less maintenance on the Essential Energy network and longer response times during outages.
It's a lose-lose for regional NSW and we must look to our political leaders to get involved.
Essential Energy might run independently of the government but it is still a state-owned corporation that has an obligation to both its customers and its profit margins.
Bathurst MP Paul Toole told the Western Advocate a month ago that the government had sent Essential Energy "the message loud and clear" that it was unhappy with the job losses, but those words are ringing hollow now.
Nationals MPs, in particular, will find it difficult to face their electorates if they cannot deliver real action to back up their tough talk.
The case for these job cuts do not pass the "pub test" and regional communities have every right to be angry.
No MP would want to see that anger played out at the ballot box.