Rocky Roadshow to talk Sustainable Housing

If every household in Rockhampton replaced just one traditional incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light, greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by 9000 tonnes a year – equal to taking 1800 cars off the road.

Or did you know that a house with a light-coloured roof absorbs up to 30% less of the sun’s heat than a dark roof and can make the inside of the house up to 10 degrees cooler.

They’re just some of the sustainable housing measures that will be discussed at a special forum in Rockhampton tomorrow (Wednesday) night. Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Paul Lucas and Member for Keppel Paul Hoolihan will host a forum on the State Government’s Improving Sustainable Housing in Queensland discussion paper.

“We’re coming to Rockhampton so we can hear what people think about improving the sustainability of the state’s 1.6 million existing homes and the 33,000 new homes that will be built in Queensland each year,” Mr Lucas said.

“A key element of the future of sustainable housing in Queensland is our past.

“A hundred years ago the old ‘timber and tin’ Queenslanders were designed and built for our warm weather. Home designs that work in the cooler southern states are often simply not suitable to our warmer climate and way of life.

“It’s important new homes are designed with our tropical climate in mind and promote better indoor–outdoor connections like decks and verandahs.”

Mr Hoolihan said the region had an important part to play in managing sustainability.

“As one of Queensland’s largest regional centres with more than 50,000 households, it’s important that the people of Rockhampton have an input into this long-term approach to protecting the future of our state,” Mr Hoolihan said.

“Between 2002 and 2007 there were almost 4000 new dwellings approved for the Rockhampton area. Under the proposed measures there will be a requirement that all new homes built from 2009 meet a five-star energy efficiency rating.

“While this measure applies only to new houses, there are many practical and affordable things people can do to improve the sustainability of existing homes too which can provide savings.”

“The single-most-effective measure will be the phasing out, from 2010, of electric hot water systems in existing homes in gas-reticulated areas at the time of replacement.”

Mr Hoolihan encouraged locals to have their say on the proposals either through formal submissions or general feedback forms which will be available at the forum on Wednesday evening, or at the local MP’s electorate office.

Almost a quarter of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the energy requirements of the building sector, mainly housing.

The new measures being proposed would reduce Queensland’s emissions by over 3.6 million tonnes by 2020 (equivalent to taking over 720,000 cars off the road); and save 550 million litres of water over 10 years (or 220 Olympic-sized swimming pools).

For more information, visit www.dip.qld.gov.au

Media inquiries: Robert Hoge 0419 757 868.

• Mr Lucas and Mr Hoolihan will be attending the Rockhampton discussion sessions at the DPI&F Conference Centre (6-7pm on July 23).
• There will also be a display in the Rockhampton Shopping Centre from 4pm – 8pm July 24.