UPDATE: Seventy-five organisations from across Australia have written to state and territory Cabinet Ministers calling for minimum standards for rental properties to safeguard the health of renters and protect them from the impacts of climate change.
Seventy-five organisations from across Australia have written to state and territory Cabinet Ministers calling for minimum standards for rental properties to safeguard the health of renters and protect them from the impacts of climate change.
The open letter was signed by community, faith, environment, housing, industry, and social sector organisations, including SACOSS, CHOICE, Healthy Futures, People with Disability Australia, Stiebel Eltron, and the United Workers Union. It comes after the IPCC issued its most dire warning about the impacts of climate change on public health.
Around one in three Australian households are renting, and rental properties are often less energy efficient, so it’s harder and more expensive to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer. A recent national poll found that two in three renters have had difficulty keeping a comfortable temperature in their home. Cold indoor temperatures are linked with cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
The cohort of 75 organisations is urging governments to accelerate policy changes to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards to better protect the health of Australian renters.
In 2019, the COAG Energy Council agreed to changes to make existing buildings more energy efficient by 2030, including minimum energy efficiency standards for all rental properties.
However, many jurisdictions are yet to commit to implement such standards, with only Victoria and the ACT taking public action on this front.
Healthy Homes for Renters media release and joint letter
Issued 1 September 2021