Page 1851 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
recently who told me, “We want to make the change, but we do not have endless money to make it happen.” It is that simple. That is why I am calling on the ACT government to trial a new program, targeted first at low income households, that will help them to replace their old wood heater with a much more energy-efficient reverse-cycle split-system unit. I cannot stress this enough: I really want this program to come at no up-front cost. A lot of Canberrans with wood heaters really need that kind of program to help them make the transition.
I also want to see such a trial improve the accessibility by limiting the hoops that people have to jump through to access replacement schemes. We are a public servant town, which means that, across the board, our city has a very high level of, shall we say, bureaucratic literacy. But often bureaucracy can act as a barrier, and it can limit the uptake of well-intentioned government programs designed to deliver good outcomes. For many time-poor people, the overcomplicated, burdensome bureaucracy of fine-print paperwork can make the whole thing seem a little bit too hard. I hope that by making a specific reference to streamlining these applications, the government can tailor-design a trial that accommodates as many people as possible.
It has been identified that the community are not aware of our current programs in time to make use of them, but I do not think that is a fair characterisation. Often the current programs are a pleasant surprise—or a cherry on top—for those who have already planned for and have the means to replace their wood heaters, rather than a genuine incentive.
We see this perverse situation currently, with the design of the scheme now, which I note was in place well before the current minister’s service, back in 2014. The Wood Heater Replacement Program rebate is offered at a point after the household has invoked the expense of making the transition, as a “thing to get once you’ve already borne the cost”. Of course, it makes me wonder: is anyone actually taking out their wood heater and replacing it with electric heating because of the scheme, or are we just giving away good taxpayer money after bad to people who do not need the support?
The ideal trial will help someone on a low income to replace their wood heater at no cost. The application process must be accessible and well advertised and, at the end of it, someone will have a cheaper, safer, cleaner and more comfortable home.
If you will permit, Mr Assistant Speaker, I would like to talk about the impact of reducing emissions from wood heaters in the community. I appreciate all of the people that have engaged with me on this topic, many since my election, because it is really important that we remain accountable and that we justify what we have been doing on this issue since my election.
I have been talking to my community about this for a while, and one thing I hear all the time is that wood heaters can be cheaper, or cheap enough, to sustain if you use the right wood. Putting aside the evidence that electric reverse-cycle units are the cheapest long term, once they are fitted and the initial upfront cost has been borne, and the fact that Canberrans are going to see their electricity bills go down this year, I grant that some wood is better than others.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video