Despite soaring temperatures throughout the summer months, the Federal Government is still yet to provide funding to Queensland to assist in improving energy efficiency in social housing.
Power Together, a collection of social service, community and environmental groups, has urged the Albanese Government to provide the energy upgrades the sunshine state’s social housing residents desperately require.
“Parts of Queensland have been dealing with sweltering temperatures this summer. Research shows the number of heatwaves in Queensland over the last several years has more than tripled, largely due to climate change,” says Stephanie Gray, a Queensland Conservation Council campaigner.
“It’s crucial that funding to upgrade Queensland’s social homes with energy efficiency improvements and solar is announced from the State and Federal governments as soon as possible to protect at-risk Queenslanders.”
The $300 million Household Energy Upgrades, announced in the Federal Budget, was set aside to finance energy upgrades across social housing, including the installation of rooftop solar. At this point, Queensland is yet to receive a cent of the funding, while New South Wales, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania have been the beneficiaries.
“Many Queensland tenants are living in unhealthy energy inefficient homes that get unbearably hot in summer, which is contributing to hospitalisations and even deaths, and this issue is only getting worse due to climate change,” says Griffith University’s Susan Harris.
“Upgrading social housing and making it more energy efficient is vital to help make homes healthy and cool, and also helps lower electricity bills for tenants. Likewise, access to cheap solar energy gives vulnerable Queenslanders more freedom to remain cool by running fans or air conditioners without having to worry about being able to afford electricity bills.
“Queenslanders can’t afford to miss out on their fair share of this vital Federal funding, particularly because the Sunshine State unfortunately records the most hospitalisations from heat-related illness every year.”
For more information, visit powertogether.org.au.
