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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 6 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1616 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

We certainly agree with Ms Tucker's proposed amendment congratulating the government for its absolute vision, which is something Mrs Dunne said we lacked.

On a related aspect, the current opposition had a different view when in government. I recall the Liberal government introducing affordable measures concerning water tanks. But there was not any proposal to supply water tanks to every property owned by ACT Housing. That is somewhat different, but it is certainly a matter relating to the conservation of our natural resources.

It is now convenient to criticise this government because this measure was not extended to all ACT government housing. Mrs Dunne, your view is absolutely correct. If we could have a solar hot water system in every one of our properties, it would be of great benefit to the people in those properties. I do not dispute that at all. It would be wonderful. The problem I have is that as housing minister it is very difficult to keep up with routine maintenance and it is difficult to find a roof for every head that needs one. We come from a background of many years of chronic underfunding of public housing.

I would dearly like to be in a position to install solar heating in every government house. It would be wonderful if we could do it. I certainly acknowledge here today that in principle we accept that every government house should have solar heating. Mrs Dunne calls on us to do that. In practice we will set about achieving that, amongst all the overwhelming demands on funding in the public housing sector. I will come back to that.

I am not sure who started the program, but we all agreed and all government houses in the ACT now have insulation. That measure is in tune with what you are saying. I do not know whether it was a Labor government or a Liberal government that started that program. But that program certainly acknowledged the importance of any inefficiency in government houses.

The major claim Mrs Dunne makes is that solar hot water would reduce greenhouse emissions. Like everybody else in this place, we are committed to pursuing greenhouse gas reductions and moves towards sustainability. We supported the current greenhouse strategy, which the former government introduced, and we are now working towards the Office of Sustainability.

We won funding for the new hot water rebate scheme by coming up with an innovative way of reducing greenhouse gases. It is not our funding that provides for this. I will check that for you, but that is my memory of the material I received at the time.

It is open to all home owners in Canberra to get a new hot water system. As part of the routine, we are beginning to review the greenhouse strategy, so you can look forward to making your contributions to a review of the strategy.

There is an energy advisory service available to all people in Canberra. I think it has been underutilised. It is a free service that all people can use.

Architects designing single or multiple dwellings for ACT Housing are encouraged to investigate innovative, cost-effective and energy efficient responses to particular client needs and accommodation type. In the past, that has been mostly in respect of homes

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