Building a new home in Australia shouldn’t cost the Earth, but over the years, it literally can. And now Australia has overtaken the United States to have the world's largest homes according to the latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Over the years, many homes have been designed with little or no consideration for the Earth’s resources, nor the energy or oil consumed to build and live in them. Bigger homes require more energy for more air conditioning and lighting; more water for more toilets and taps, and more things – furniture, appliances and other knick knacks to fill the rooms and shelves in our massive houses - things which when thrown away, ultimately end up in landfill.
But the Federal Government is seeking to change all this: they want simple, eco-friendly homes to be the new norm in Australia. An opportunity is currently available for all who choose to seize it and it won’t cost a cent: it’s called the Home Sustainability Assessment (HSA) Program.
The HSA Program is funded and supported by the Federal Department of Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts and it essentially involves the government taking members of the community interested in sustainability, training them up to become comprehensive Assessors and then sending them out in the community to assess the homes of local residents.
Qualifications are given and jobs are created; residents find out what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint and the government gets the information it needs to implement policies into the future.
In my local area, the northern rivers region of New South Wales, I’m aware of at least ten local people who’ve been trained under the program and are now certified HSA Assessors.
Now, they’re waiting on phone calls from local residents in the Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore and Nimbin areas – and the benefits to be gained are numerous. First, homeowners will benefit from a free inspection of their home. The inspection investigates and reports on your home’s major energy and water systems relating to thermal comfort, water heating, lighting, refrigeration, cooking, entertainment, water efficiency and outdoor water consumption, and waste management and more. Then you’re given a report telling you exactly what you need to do to make you reduce your home’s carbon footprint – FREE!
The Assessment Report can then be used to assist householders (owners and renters) apply for a Green Loan if they choose to - through what the Federal Government calls the Green Loans Program. Under this program, people who have their homes assessed can apply for an interest free loan of up to $10,000, which can help them pay for the installation of renewable energy systems, rainwater tanks, energy efficient appliances and design features that will improve their footprint.
The loan is repayable over 4 years, interest-free and can be provided by a wide range of participating banks and credit unions.
My Mum’s taking advantage of this – you should too!
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Building a new home in Australia shouldn’t cost the Earth, but over the years, it literally can. And now Australia has overtaken the United States to have the world's largest homes according to the latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
