Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

The member opposite is more familiar with the details of invoices than I am. I thank him for his question and I point out that under this particular program that the government is rolling out there are specific guideline requirements that installers are required to sign up to as a consequence of being able to install insulation under this program. It is the case that we have a significantly enhanced robust monitoring compliance regime in place. We have a series of specific audit requirements to make sure that if there are any issues in relation to price differences that show up in the invoices that are produced they are followed up by the department and by the particular audit agencies that are responsible—in this case, PricewaterhouseCoopers, who have been independently commissioned to do this work.

I make the point that, if there are anomalies in pricing in relation to this program, my department wants to know about them and they will be followed up. We specifically added to the compliance requirements of this scheme by providing a pricing guide that specifically identifies the range within which invoices should actually be identified and delivered according to the amount of ceiling space. If there are instances of figures that go outside of that pricing guide they automatically trigger the audit and compliance regime that is in place and the particular matter in question is followed up specifically by my department.

The fact is that this is one of the most successful energy efficiency programs that we have ever seen in this country. We now have over 450,000 Australian households that have taken the benefit of ceiling insulation, but, if there are any issues around compliance and any issues around overcharging, they will be dealt with. I will refer that matter, and the matter that the member has raised with me, to my department.

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