Monday 11 January 2010
AN EDUCATIONAL and built environment expert predicts 300,000 new
jobs will be created if Australia's 7.5 million homes are adapted
to become energy and water efficient.
Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University and specialist eco
architect Mr Garry Baverstock said the jobs' growth would take
place over 20 years and be in key industry areas.
"Areas of focus and progress include research and development
technologies; passive solar architecture and design; advances in
recycling building materials from demolition; water and waste water
design, treatment and maintenance; new advances in solar water
heating and grid connected PV systems; and the integration of other
renewable energy systems into the built environment," said Mr
Baverstock.
"However, this boon in new jobs will only take place if we are
serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and introduce
policies and practices to ensure we only construct and reconstruct
energy and water efficient homes," said Mr Baverstock.
Mr Baverstock said Australia's built environment constituted 33
per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and this figure increased to
40 per cent when infrastructure and embodied energy were taken into
account.
He said these amounts could only be reduced if energy consumed
in existing homes was reduced by between 30 and 50 per cent and by
80 per cent in all new homes.
"Of the 7.5 million homes in Australia we know most need to be
retrofitted to become more energy and water efficient and many of
these will eventually need to be replaced with new state-of-the-art
homes because it will be too costly to retrofit them," he said.
"Homes to be demolished will have to be carefully recycled and
this will entail the introduction of procedures and policies to
ensure wastage is kept to a minimum," he said.
Mr Baverstock said national building codes and other relevant
legislation in Australia did not require home owners and builders
to comply with energy and water efficiency principles when
demolishing, retrofitting or renovating homes.
He said legislation was lagging and up until now lay people and
industry groups had led the way in the instigation of innovative
and necessary change.
"The idea of adapting a home to become more energy and water
efficient is normally decided by home owners who place pressure on
designers and builders to trial new methods," said Mr
Baverstock.
"Once these techniques have been found to be effective builders
adopt them into mainstream practice and political parties follow by
introducing them into legislation.
"This means the general public and industry professionals will
continue to lead the way in the push for important change, but this
may not be enough if we are to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change," said Mr
Baverstock.
However Mr Baverstock said he was delighted to hear most people
in Australia wanted to live in homes and work in buildings that had
been designed and built to comply with energy efficient and climate
sensible principles.
"While it's good news people want to live in energy efficient
homes, there are barriers to these lifestyle changes which include
money, industry know-how and legislative amendments," he said.
"This is because the cost to retrofit a property may initially
be outside a home owner's budget despite the investment eventually
being offset in energy savings while also reducing each of the
occupants' carbon footprints.
Mr Baverstock said industry know-how and current legislation was
also not at the level desired by consumers.
He said in the interim young people, tradespeople and built
environment professionals could extend their skills' levels by
enrolling in sustainability courses at tertiary institutions and
placing pressure on employers to implement climate sensible and
energy efficient principles in the workplace.
... / Ends
Further
Information
Mr Garry Baverstock: Tel: 0419 965227 or 08-9286 3811
(Journalist) Jacinta Goerke: Tel: 0412
338813