Page 2565 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 1 August 2018

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(vi) public education that would increase the understanding of the scheme, its intentions, benefits and constraints;

(vii) options for how assessors are trained and monitored;

(viii) whether the content of the point of sale report needs updating; and

(ix) how best to engage and consult with industry and community in conducting the review; and

I move this motion today because I believe it is imperative that we continue to push ahead as a national leader of energy efficiency in homes. Far from being just buildings, our homes are a crucial contributor to our wellbeing. They are the place where we rest, relax and come together as families. We have known for a long time that the quality of our home influences the quality of our wellbeing. That is why, through planning law, we have throughout history regulated to make sure the buildings we build provide a certain living standard. For example, we have required our dwellings to have windows, minimum floor spaces, sound insulation and clean airflow.

Energy efficient dwellings continue this tradition of planning law to promote the wellbeing of people by providing people with a healthier place to live. Energy efficient homes tend to reduce moisture issues that lead to mould, leaks and condensation. That is because energy efficient homes will often provide a higher quality of internal air, a more hospitable temperature range and limit dampness. These things will all help our physical health.

International longitudinal studies of energy efficient housing developments have also indicated that residents’ mental health is improved. You might wonder how an energy efficient home could impact people’s mental health. But a set of researchers found that one elderly couple could now host their grandchildren more regularly as they had moved into a dry and warm low energy dwelling. There is also a sense of purpose an energy efficient house brings, with one woman in her mid-50s giving up smoking because she felt her behaviour should match that of her home. She also reduced the time she took to shower, lowered her food wastage and visited the supermarket less.

When we look at the savings, some households were able to afford bigger holidays more often and other households reported being tighter family units that were more engaged with their communities. As well as health benefits, there are significant economic benefits to energy efficiency homes. Energy efficient homes reduce energy use, creating dwellings that can be more efficiently heated and cooled and reduce the reliance of households on appliances. This offers a real return to households and lowers the cost of living. The average Australian family has an annual electricity and gas bill of around $2,115. Modelling by Sustainability Victoria estimates that an energy efficient home can cut these costs by up to 40 per cent, an annual saving of $850.

Annually, Australian households spend $20 billion on energy bills. A report by the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council found that households could save

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