Swan Lite Produces a Carbon Hangover!!
Within the Budget, the Government has abandoned the tax breaks for green building upgrades that they had flagged for commencement on 1st July 2012.
For some time, their rhetoric had been; “we have a $billion contribution to energy efficiency”. Whilst the promised accelerated depreciation for green retrofits may not have changed behaviour to a great degree – given the up to 3 year wait required toreap the benefit – this about-face is significant as it displays a lack of real commitment to the carbon reduction agenda.
Energy efficiency improvements to the existing building stock is the single most cost effective and fastest way to reduce our collective carbon footprint. Continue reading
Greens will take up the property fight
Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne has jumped to support the sustainable property industry declaring she will challenge the federal government on its axing of the $1 billion Tax Breaks for Green Buildings program.
The sustainable and mainstream property industry and energy efficiency associations in unison have slammed the action as an about face on the federal government’s significant previous support and encouragement for building energy retrofits. In countless statements the government confirmed it understood that energy reduction in buildings was the cheapest source of carbon abatement.
See our detailed coverage on the reaction, Bad budget news for green buildings …and some scraps Continue reading
