A seven-star energy efficiency rating and minimum accessibility standards will be required in all new homes built in Canberra from October 2023, after Australian building ministers agreed to update the national construction code.
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ACT Sustainable Building and Construction Minister Rebecca Vassarotti said changes to minimum energy efficiency standards needed to be made fast and fairly.
"I made the ACT's position clear to my fellow building ministers during the meeting, so I am delighted that a 12-month transition was agreed to," Ms Vassarotti said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
"The homes we build today will stand for many decades, so it is vital that we build homes that are climate-resilient, comfortable and accessible.
"We will ensure that industry is supported through these changes. I believe 12 months is sufficient time before the introduction of these new standards, giving them time to prepare and adjust."
An analysis commissioned by the federal government had found detached home owners would be $107 a year better off in Canberra owning a seven-star energy efficient home from new if the changes were adopted.
Ms Vassarotti said on Monday, before the meeting, everyone should live in a home that was comfortable where they were able to easily and efficiently regulate the internal temperature to cope with hot and cold periods.
"Rental properties that are not energy efficient lead to higher energy bills and sometimes dangerously cold or hot houses for the people that call them home. It is often the case that those with the least capacity to pay have no choice but to live in properties that are the most expensive to heat and cool," she said.
"While the ACT is moving forward to implementing minimum standard for ceiling insulation for rental properties, our national standards have not been changed in more than a decade and they are falling further and further behind international and best-practice standards."
The nationwide house energy rating scheme was first introduced in Australia in 1993 and is currently going through an overhaul.
Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council executive director Alison Scotland said earlier this week shifting the requirement from six to seven stars could not be delayed.
"If we are serious about reducing emissions and living in a healthy, comfortable home, we need to continue the momentum towards stronger energy performance," Ms Scotland said.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
