Page 2309 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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(f) explore the use of alternative methods for physical audits of EERs including the use of thermal imaging and air leakage testing;
(g) expand the energy efficiency rating assessment to include the provision of recommendations for improvements to a premises that would increase energy efficiency; and
(h) advocate at COAG for funds to:
(i) improve methodologies for data collection on built houses; and
(ii) use more appropriate climate data.
I rise today to talk about a subject very dear to my heart: energy efficiency ratings and how we can bring them forward from where they are at present. I think we have reached the situation where the people realise they are important but we still have a lot of confusion and discussion about them. The purpose of my motion today is to bring them, in effect, to the next step.
I would like to start by stating that energy efficiency ratings are important in terms of meeting our greenhouse gas commitments. As we all know, we have as an Assembly agreed to reduce Canberra’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2020. Our homes in the ACT produce 31 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions; 26 per cent of that is from electricity and five per cent of that is from gas. So it is very important that we have energy efficient homes to live in. In addition, of course, energy efficient homes are more comfortable to live in and cheaper to live in because you are spending less money on energy.
My second point was the importance of addressing energy efficiency in existing houses as well as in new houses. This is very relevant to this motion because I will be talking about not only new houses. I will also be talking about things that come under the sale of premises act. The sale of premises act, as we are all aware, governs how houses are sold. It requires certain things to be revealed.
I am very pleased to hear ACTPLA talk about their intended review of the Building Act during the recent estimates hearings, particularly how ACTPLA are looking at using the Building Act 2004 to address energy efficiency of existing houses. This is really important because the bulk of the housing stock in the ACT, of course, already exists. The older ones of these are the ones we particularly need to improve the energy efficiency of.
In our parliamentary agreement with the Labor Party there is a clause which talks about an energy efficiency makeover for Canberra households with the aim that within 10 years all houses in the ACT should have improved their energy efficiency to at least three stars. The Greens are very aware that this is a big call. It is not an easy thing to do. But if we are to reach our targets on greenhouse gas reductions, it is an essential thing to do. From that point of view, I am particularly interested in what ACTPLA is planning to do with the Building Act 2004. I think that this motion today, if implemented, will be one of the levers towards achieving this aim, because I am talking about getting the ratings of existing houses better.
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