PUBLIC HOUSING — CLIMATE CONTROL POLICY
110. Hon WILSON TUCKER to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Housing:
I
draw the minister's attention to the Victorian government's
April 2021 announcement of an initiative to install reverse-cycle air
conditioning in public housing properties in northern Victoria. In Western Australia,
the Housing Authority rental policy manual guarantees only
ceiling fans and insulation to public housing properties in the north west.
In light of recent extreme
temperatures in our state's north west and policy changes in other
jurisdictions, will the minister commit to
reviewing the public housing rental policy with an aim to decrease climate
discomfort and improve energy efficiency?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. Before I give the answer, I think it is amusing
that Victoria has put air conditioning into
public housing. They need heating; I do not know that they need air
conditioning so much.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. The climate control policy for public housing was last amended in
2015 and is based on Bureau of Meteorology climate zones. The state government
provides cooling in homes through cost-effective means for tenants, including
ceiling fans, higher ceilings, roof and wall insulation and appropriate design.
The McGowan government's
priority and focus is delivering the $2.1 billion investment towards expanding
the supply of social housing across the state.