Late last month, the Federal Government announced that they would be listening to the public on the idea of a "green rating" for all Australian homes. Under the scheme, mandatory "green ratings" would be allocated to apartments and houses before they are put up for lease or for sale. This rating would be applicable to both new and old homes and the vendors/landlords would be expected to maintain or improve the "green" rating of the dwelling.
A national report has been drafted detailing four possible versions of auditing a home in NSW. All the audits drafted involve the payment of a financial "tax" payable by the vendor/landlord if they wish to put the property up for sale or for lease. The most expensive of these incorporates a $774 fee for an assessor to perform the audit and an additional $50 if the owner wishes to be present during the assessment. That is a fee of over $800 to assess the homes "green rating."
As can be expected, there is some strong opposition to the Government's proposal. Real Estate Institute of NSW president Wayne Stewart said, "The Government needs to work with consumers to bring about change rather than slap them with what looks like being another tax of up to $800."
The cheapest option would be for the owner to complete a checklist at a cost of $41, a scheme that is already being used in Queensland.
The Government feels that a good green rating could be reflected in an increased value of the property. "Assessing the energy and water efficiency characteristics of a home can help people chose a property that is potentially more comfortable and cheaper to run."
What are your thoughts? Is another tax on housing really the answer to getting us to adopt greener versions of our homes?
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