Environmental Performance Of Existing Homes

This policy statement sets out HIA’s position on the environmental performance of existing houses and highlights where HIA believes government attention should be focused to resolve the present disparity between the responsibility of new homes to meet environmental benchmarks and performance of existing homes.

• HIA acknowledges the impact of existing homes on the environment and recgonises the need to improve public understanding of what may be achieved in respect to energy or water efficiency. Government working with industry should outline practical voluntary initiatives, such as rebate schemes, that would promote cost-effective ways of improving energy efficiency of existing homes.
• Rebates and other incentives to improve the environmental performance of housing:
  

  o should be available to existing homes to encourage the installation of higher efficiency fixtures and appliances;
  o should be available to residential developers on behalf of future home owners; and
  o should be available to the owners of rental properties.

• State governments and utility providers should consider long-term incentives to encourage home owners to select renewable energy options, such as preferential pricing for energy returned to the grid.
• Governments should continue to focus attention on the performance of all existing buildings and should consider initiatives to also address the commercial, retail and short term accommodation sectors, along with infrastructure and major industry emissions.