lets get our housing regulations right – more jobs, less greenhouse
Cam Walker
the following is a request for letters on the issue of housing energy
regulations - not very exciting, perhaps, but a good outcome would
certainly be a powerful trigger for driving the creation of many new
green collar jobs.
There is extra detail on other measures we think are required in our
'green New Deal' document: http://greennewdeal.wordpress.com/
thanks & regards
Cam Walker
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lets get our housing regulations right – more jobs, less greenhouse
A straight forward way to drive the creation of green jobs, and in
particular new jobs in manufacturing in Victoria, is to make sure our
houses are built to a higher energy standard.
At present, new houses built in Victoria – more than 35,000 a year -
must meet a 5 star energy requirement. In addition to achieving this
rating for the building itself, 5 Star also requires either a water tank
that must supply water to toilets, or a solar hot water system. This
system was implemented in 2004. Given that the average energy
efficiency rating of houses in Victoria was only 2.2 stars before the
new system was introduced, this was a great step forward by the state
government.
At the most recent the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting,
held in late April, the states signed up to uniform 6 star energy
ratings for new homes. This is a great start in positioning our housing
industry as being closer to best practise, but still short of what is
technically possible and economically viable. At present the average
energy rating of housing in Australia is 2.5 stars, while in the USA it
is 6.5 and in Western Europe it is 8
There is a huge potential to go further – to 7 or 8 star ratings or
beyond. In 2006 the UK the government announced that by 2016 all new
homes will be zero energy buildings – that is they will have zero net
energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. In Victoria, if
we went to 8 star ratings or above we would drive not only new jobs in
construction but also in manufacturing, as past the 8 star level there
is greater use of pre fabricated units, like double glazed window units
and so on. This would present major opportunities for our manufacturing
sector.
At present, the government is considering what it should do next in
regards to housing regulations. The Victorian government showed national
leadership in committing to the 5 star standard in 2004 and it could do
so again by going past the new national standards. Please let them know
there is a community interest in seeing best practise housing being made
mandatory. Please email the following members of the Victorian
government, urging them to adopt 8 star or higher energy ratings.
Many thanks.
If you would like to be kept informed of developments around the review
of building regulations, please send your email address to:
cam.w...@foe.org.au
This alert has been organised by Friends of the Earth Melbourne.
http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/
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PLEASE SEND LETTERS to the following:
John Brumby
Premier of Victoria
john....@parliament.vic.gov.au
Gavin Jennings
Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Innovation
gavin.j...@parliament.vic.gov.au
Justin Madden
Minister for Planning
justin...@parliament.vic.gov.au
Richard Wynne
Minister for Housing
richar...@parliament.vic.gov.au
Please send us a copy as well: f...@foe.org.au
Please cut and paste the letter below (and add whatever detail you want)
then send (adding your name and address) to the ministers mentioned above.
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Dear Premier and ministers
I commend your government on supporting the decision at the recent COAG
meeting to adopt uniform 6 star energy ratings for new houses in Australia.
However, while this is a considerable improvement on the existing 5 star
system, even a 6 star rating system will be well below current standards
in Europe.
We urge you to act quickly and boldly by investigating the possibility
of going to an 8 star energy rating or zero net emissions standard. The
UK government has already committed to zero emissions housing by 2016.
Such a move would drive down energy costs of new houses, as well as
greenhouse gas emissions, whilst driving the creation of new green jobs
in construction, installation, maintenance and manufacturing. I know of
your government's keen interest in developing new employment
opportunities through the creation of green jobs, and believe such a
development would be good for employment as well as as a real way of
reducing greenhouse emissions from houses.
I accept that there are real cost issues around affordability with any
increase in energy ratings, but there are ways to ensure housing is
still affordable. One simple option would be to build an efficiency
component into the first home owners loan.
8 star or higher energy ratings are viable – we just need the leadership
of your government to make it real.
Please use any review of housing regulations as an opportunity to make a
rain water tank and solar hot water system both mandatory for new housing.
Yours sincerely