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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4478 ..

(4) New housing designs submitted for development application approval must meet the mandatory minimum ACT 4-star standard required by the Building Code of Australia and the ACTHERS. The costs of EER statements prepared by the designers are not separately identified.

For existing houses that are on sold, the costs are set by private contract between the owner of the property and the accredited assessor, who is an independent operator in the marketplace. These costs ranged from $80 to $200 in the past, according to how much documentation could be supplied by the property vendor/owner. Since the implementation of the Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003 on 1 July 2004, many assessors are offering the EER statement at no extra cost above that of the compulsory provision of the pest control and building reports.

(5) A strict eligibility and technical training program for assessors is conducted by the ACT Planning and Land Authority, and is regarded nationally as one of excellence by the peak bodies of the design and construction industry, as well as the NSW HERS Management Board for the national benchmark, NationwideHERS (NatHERS). The Authority’s scheme involves accreditation only after trainees meet stringent eligibility and examination criteria, adhering to a professional code of practice, quality control procedures and audits of individual performance.

(6) Yes – these relate to the veracity and accuracy of the EER statement itself.

(a) An average of three requests per year relating to this type of complaint have been received.

(b) In each case a new assessment is undertaken independently, and a final report is provided to the owner in a personal meeting. All cases have been resolved amicably and to the satisfaction of the complainant.

(7) Yes – these relate to enquiries on why such ratings are required, and who and what is involved.

(8) (a) Several complaints of this type have been made over the past three years.

(b) The complaints have related to the reason for EER statements and what qualifications the accredited assessors possess.

(c) Each case has been resolved to the satisfaction of the enquirer, at the time raised, with relevant information being supplied verbally, by email or by reference to the Authority’s energy website

(http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/design-guide/acthers/index.htm)

Development—Civic
(Question No 1715)

Ms Tucker asked the Minister for Planning, upon notice, on 2 August 2004:

(1) What is the status of the 2001 Master Plan for the Queensland Investment Corporation’s (QIC) development on sections 56 and 35, Bunda Street carpark and Griffin Centre;

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