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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (3 December) . . Page.. 4405 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

Mr Speaker, Canberra's housing stock is ill equipped for our climate. About 60 per cent of the ACT's non-transport energy is used in space heating and 20 per cent is used in water heating. The energy inefficiency of rental housing means that tenants who have no control over the appliances or general efficiency of the dwelling are forced to pay higher bills. While private home owners have more control over the energy efficiency of their house, the market currently offers no incentives for energy efficient housing. The ACT Government brochure on the ACT house energy rating scheme claims that adoption of this new rating scheme may result in savings of 30 to 50 per cent, or $400 to $600 per year in house energy costs. While much money can be saved, we currently do not have an informed market for energy efficiency housing in the ACT. While we cannot turn all our existing houses around to face north, there are many practical things that can be done to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Insulation is one very good example, as is improving thermal mass through things like internal masonry walls. Obviously, there are many other initiatives that can be taken outside the actual building structure, such as installing solar water heaters, fitting curtains with pelmets, sealing cracks, and installing efficient heating and cooling systems. With a more informed market, people will start to demand these sorts of features when considering a house for rental or purchase.

Members will be familiar with the home energy rating scheme which applies to new houses in the ACT. The problem is that this information is never passed on when houses are rented or sold. While new houses are required to meet a minimum standard of energy efficiency, there are no incentives in place for existing housing stock to become more energy efficient. These pieces of legislation require anyone wishing to sell or rent a house to provide an energy efficiency rating statement in accordance with the home energy rating scheme package. In addition to providing a home energy rating, this Bill requires any advertising material to contain a statement of the current energy efficiency rating of those premises. Under the current system, this would be the actual star rating. This is really making the market operate more effectively by providing consumers with information about the energy efficiency of a house.

Mr Speaker, I see these Bills as a package, and I urge members to do the same. In the last sitting period, an amendment similar to the legislation that is being tabled today to amend the Residential Tenancies Act was defeated by the Independents and the Liberal Party. I urge them to reconsider. At that time Mr Moore and members of the Liberal Party argued that such a scheme should not be applied to one class of people, namely renters, but should be applied across the board. That is what we are doing here today. The Government has indicated that they are prepared to support the legislation in relation to houses that are sold. If they and Mr Moore are going to remain consistent with their earlier arguments, it would not be sensible to apply these measures only to home purchasers - one group of people - and leave out the rental market. Furthermore, it is probably even more important to provide this sort of information in the rental market, because renters have less control over their power bills.

Members will note that there are a number of exemptions. This legislation, if passed, will not apply to caravans or mobile homes, hotels or motels, clubs, educational institutions, retirement villages, and nursing homes or hostels. In addition, there is a capacity for further classes of premises to be exempted by regulation. We have proposed penalties both for failure to comply with the legislation and for providing false

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