January marks the last month a new house can be built in the ACT with an inefficient hot water system, due to ACT Greens’ legislation. From February onwards, only low emissions hot water systems, such as solar, heat pump, or efficient gas, can be installed in new ACT houses and townhouses.

“We can save greenhouse gases and money with targeted energy efficiency standards like this,” said ACT Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur.

“Water heating alone accounts for a quarter of the energy used in an average home. Replacing an electric system with gas-boosted solar uses about 95% less energy and can save around $700 a year.”

The laws also phase in water-saving shower heads for ACT homes. Householders replacing existing hot water systems must now ensure that any attached showers use water efficient shower heads.

“The Greens would like to have seen energy efficient hot water phased in for all existing systems in need of replacement, but neither the Government nor the Liberals would support those changes.”

“This means that many existing homes will continue to waste money and energy on hot water production.”

“The Greens have pushed the agenda on this issue in the ACT – without our Bill, the Government would still have been promising but not delivering on energy efficient hot water for the ACT,” Ms Le Couteur said today.

ACT Greens Climate Change and Energy spokesperson Shane Rattenbury today called on the ACT Government to get moving on securing Canberra’s clean energy future in light of the Assembly climate change committee report that recommended a 40% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2020.

“The Government has delayed the release of its draft energy policy for too long – it’s time we got on with the public debate about how best to meet a 40% emissions reduction target by 2020,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“In May this year, the Minister indicated that the Draft Energy Policy would be released for public consultation in the third quarter of 2009 – this time frame has now lapsed and the clock is ticking on the government.

“The Assembly committee report made it clear that Canberra was in the enviable position of being able to implement cost effective measures such as energy efficiency for residences and commercial buildings in order to meet a 40% target.

“The Government needs to start the public conversation about how we will overhaul our residential and commercial buildings to make the energy savings that we need, as well as putting in place measures that will ensure new developments are not energy hungry.

“Energy efficiency is the low hanging fruit. It’s cheap greenhouse abatement and will save us money in the future as well. There’s much we can do, but so far we’ve only tinkered around the edges.

“We’ve seen the Government make bold and ambitious statements about Canberra having zero net emissions, but without a timeframe, without a policy, and without concrete steps to get there, it is meaningless.

“The Government committed to zero net emissions for their own operations several years ago and haven’t yet managed to deliver, underlining the need see the detail on how this commitment will be met for whole of the ACT,” said Mr Rattenbury.

The ACT Greens’ Hot Water Bill passed in part today, after the Government rejected the bill completely, and the Liberals made amendments to reduce its scope.

“The Greens were elected to take action on climate change. That’s what this bill does. The other parties should have supported it fully and turned their green words into action, and follow Queensland, SA and WA who have already passed similar legislation,” Greens Planning spokesperson Caroline Le Couteur said today.

“We are disappointed the full bill wasn’t passed, but we at least passed laws to ensure all hot water systems for new houses must be more efficient.”

“We will keep pressuring the Government to implement all the initiatives in our bill, which would have phased out inefficient hot water systems in all houses’,” Ms Le Couteur said.

“These initiatives would significantly reduce household energy costs, as well as reduce greenhouse gases. They’re a win-win. But the Government was too concerned with politics to support them and could offer no valid reason to vote against it, and the Liberal Party watered them down significantly”.

“I am amazed by the Government’s refusal to support anything Green. One minute it argues we are doing the wrong thing and the next minute it says it will do it anyway! It’s a political performance that is all for show and I trust that Canberra people are wise to that.”

“There are no guarantees that the Government will use the COAG process to implement the energy efficiency initiatives we need – none of these timelines or details are guaranteed.”

“Mr Barr’s non-cooperation this week has shown that he is yet to come to terms with the end of majority government,” Ms Le Couteur said.

The Greens’ original Bill also won support from energy experts such as Sustainability Advice Team Managing Director, Dr Hugh Saddler, who said:

“The changes proposed by this Bill could make significant energy savings for Canberra houses. Canberra has a large proportion of houses with gas which still use electric hot water heaters. Converting these houses to efficient hot water systems when the existing system has to be replaced is the low hanging fruit, in terms of lowest cost and highest energy savings. This is particularly prevalent in rental houses, and passing this Bill could significantly reduce energy bills for low income renters.”

The ACT Greens have expressed disappointment that the Government failed to support the Greens bill to phase in energy efficient hot water systems.  Caroline Le Couteur MLA said that the Greens would defer debate on the Bill and look to negotiate with the Liberal Party.

“It became clear that the Minister didn’t want to show support for any bill that came from the Greens,” Ms Le Couteur said today.

“I’m concerned that the Government refused to engage with us about the bill, or give any concrete examples of problems they had with it.”

“The Government also tried to dismiss the issue by saying COAG was progressing this issue. But the COAG process is by no means guaranteed.”

“The Greens’ bill implements a good scheme now and with certainty.”  

“The Liberals supported the bill in principle, but presented 11th hour amendments to water down the bill, which were unacceptable. We will now try to work with the Liberals to get a good bill through.”

“It just demonstrates that if want real to see green initiatives actually implemented, then vote Green.”

“The legislation would be a win-win for the environment and the economy. Implementing it now would also have encouraged Canberrans to take advantage of the excellent Federal rebates currently available for energy efficient hot water systems,” Ms Le Couteur said.

ACT Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur today called on the Government and the Liberal Party to live up to their own election commitments and support the Greens’ bill to phase in energy efficient hot water systems.

“Both parties say that they are in support of reducing the impacts of household hot water systems, and even said it in their 2008 election promises. I call on them to actually put their words into deeds by voting for my Bill,” Ms Le Couteur said.

“The same changes have already been made in other Australian states, and the ACT Government indicated support for these same policies through the Ministerial Council on Energy. Now it’s time for the ACT to act.”

Ms Le Couteur said she was worried that Liberal and Labor don’t want to be seen as giving support to good Greens initiatives.

“The last thing we want is for politics to get in the way of important environmental initiatives.

“The Liberal Party, in their 2008 Climate Change policy release, said they would require ‘Solar or other low energy hot water systems on all new dwellings’. 

“The Labor Party’s Climate Change policy launch claimed that a re-elected Labor would ‘encourage the phasing out of electric hot water systems’.

“There will be some explaining to do if either party backflips on these promises.

“This fact is this Bill will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and costs for ACT residents, and it would be wrong for the other parties not to support it,” Ms Le Couteur said.

Labor Policy:  http://www.actlabor.com.au/Documents/Policy/Climate%20Change%20Policy.pdf
Liberal Policy: http://www.canberraliberals.org.au/files/YBMYXVLBAS/Cleaning%20up%20our%20Act.pdf

ACT Greens Planning spokesperson Caroline Le Couteur MLA gained unanimous support in the Assembly yesterday for her motion to improve the energy efficiency ratings auditing regime.

“Since I tabled the motion last week, there has been a lot of discussion with the Government on what concrete actions can be taken to improve energy efficiency ratings of houses, both new and for sale,” Ms Le Couteur said today.

“We now have a clear commitment from Government to:

• Immediately strengthen the auditing of the approval and certification of new buildings to better audit energy efficiency ratings;

• Clarify transitional arrangements on potential new requirements to energy rating assessors;

• Develop information sheets, clarifying the two different ratings schemes;

• Commence a consultation process on ratings, starting with releasing a discussion paper by the end of April 2009, and

• Give us hard data each year in annual reports on how many energy ratings are being audited, for both kinds of ratings.”

“I am very pleased that the Planning Minister and his department have been so cooperative on this matter, and have committed to reducing the general confusion over which ratings are used and for which kinds of buildings.”

“Resolving these issues will deliver a win for all those in the housing market who want the assurance that the star rating on their purchase is accurate,” Ms Le Couteur said.