Recently I read the following statement on the notice board at Castlemaine Railway Station:
"The Victorian government has mandated that all residential and small business customers in Melbourne and throughout the state must have a smart meter installed by the end of 2013."
This statement is a lie.
The mandate is a direction to electricity distributors to "use their best endeavours to install smart meters in every home and business by the end of 2013."
There is no indication in this direction that obliges anyone to accept a smart meter.
Besides, any attempt to install a smart meter without the householder's or business owner's free, full and informed consent would be an infringement of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006.
There was no clear indication on the notice as to who authorised the unsigned statement, only a reference to the Department of Primary Industries' website.
Was this notice an attempt to mislead people into believing that they have no choice in this matter?
Brian Clarke
Castlemaine