Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Victorian Healthy Homes program

Mr McGHIE (Melton) (13:01): I was recently lucky enough to be joined by the Minister for Energy and Minister for Environment and Climate Action when we visited the beautiful home of Heather Westaway in Melton South. We saw firsthand the transformational impact an energy upgrade can have for Victorians. Heather was part of the Victorian Healthy Homes program: 800 houses in the west received energy upgrades; 176 of these houses were in Melton and 200 in the Goulburn Valley. Heather’s late husband was severely allergic to natural gas, so their home was heated for decades by inefficient heat banks and electric water storage. Her heating costs were astronomical and a massive burden on her budget.

The funding of this program helped Heather install an energy-efficient reverse-cycle air conditioner. Changing this heat source meant that Heather had a more responsive heat source, and it is saving her around $430 per power bill. She told us how much warmer her house is and how she can feel free to leave her home to do more activities. She feels more comfortable with people visiting her in winter and how she can afford to stay in her magnificent home without feeling the pressure to move because it is too expensive to live there. The environmental benefits are of course important, but sometimes we can lose sight that for people like Heather energy efficiency can make a massive improvement to their quality of life, both physical and mental wellbeing. When asked whether the upgrade had improved her health Heather responded, ‘Oh heaps, because you don’t worry or stress. I can have visitors over without worrying about whether they will be warm enough’. I want to thank Heather for allowing us into her house and telling us and all of her friends about the benefits of this program.