Our Ask – Energy Efficiency Minimum Standards for Renters
Please not that Energetic Communities is a bipartisan non-government organisation, however we think it is important to highlight the policies of each party on the issues we are advocating for so that our supporters can make an informed decision. (We would like to acknowledge that we have added to the work done by the Queensland Conservation Council in creating their broader scorecard that you can find linked below, to pull out the elements specific to this issue).
So far, the Labor government have introduced laws that create minimum standards for rental properties, like conditions around a mould free home, which are important steps! But we are yet to see them out the regulations that would bring Energy Efficiency standards into effect.
Though in support of Energy Efficiency upgrades for renters they have also:
● Matched federal funding so a total of $116 million is allocated to the Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative to support improvements to insulation, fans, and more efficient hot water in 32,000 social
homes.
At a forum we attended with the Qld Communities Alliance on Tuesday 15th October, the labor MP for Aspley in attendance acknowledged that people on low incomes do disproportionately affect them and committed to looking at what else their government could to do ensure renters didn’t continue to pay as much (see video of this pledge on our instagram), but we’d like to see the minister’s in charge of the relevant portfolios make such pledges!
The Greens have announced at a federal level that they want to see national rental standards that include those for heating and cooling of a home. At a state level they have committed to:
● By a mixture of incentives, subsidies, taxes and regulation encourage energy efficiency improvements in construction, maintenance and improvements of dwellings.
● Offer full rebates for retro fitting existing houses and buildings, including rental properties, with energy saving devices and measures.
We have not heard a definitive response either way as to what the LNP will do in this space. Disappointingly the LNP candidates have not been showing up to community coalition candidate forums where we have been asking about this issue to the other parties.
Broader Tenancy Analysis
Tenants Queensland asked the major political parties a series of questions – you might want to read their responses here.
Broader Environmental Issues Analysis
Queensland Conservation Council have created a scorecard for the environment.