Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On a warm winter’s morning in June like only Queensland can deliver, in the seat of Dickson, along with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon. Peter Garrett, and other state and council dignitaries, I was there at the opening of Bradford’s latest insulation plant. After doing a plant inspection with company and parliamentary representatives, the CEO and Managing Director, Jeremy Maycock, spoke to the gathering regarding the commitment of the company to manufacturing sustainable energy efficient solutions for our environment. Jerry indicated that when the company initially announced the construction of the facility in June 2007, it was their original intention to start production early this year with only one shift and slowly build up from there. We now know that he and the company have been proven wrong, with the plant already running at full capacity, 24/7, which is obviously good news for jobs in Queensland and in the local Brendale industrial area in Dickson.

In fact, the company has engaged 70-plus employees since the plant commenced. The 70th employee, Adam Locke, who five weeks before his commencement with Bradford was doing part-time work on golf courses, indicated that the job fitted his family lifestyle, with four days on followed by four days off making it the perfect job. His employment fortune is part of this government’s excellent initiative, the Energy Efficient Homes package, which is targeted at providing 2.9 million homes throughout Australia by 2012 with free insulation. With a rebate of $1,600 for each homeowner, many will have their homes insulated at no cost. Additionally, for renters, up to $1,000 is provided to eligible landlords and tenants to install insulation in private rental and other properties, including holiday homes, with little or no existing ceiling insulation.

Since the announcement of the package, over 25,000 people have already installed insulation, thanks to these programs which are part of this government’s $4 billion commitment to improving household energy efficiency. No doubt that figure of 25,000 has skyrocketed since the package has kicked on from 1 July this year. As of 1 July, installing insulation has been easier, with householders simply selecting a provider from the Installer Provider Register, which has been available online. Consumer protection is paramount for this government, with requirements for installers to register with the government through a simple registration process.

Notwithstanding the reduction in homeowners’ energy bills and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the package further stimulates the employment market with over 4,000 jobs in this industry alone. Oddly enough, those opposite have failed to recognise and acknowledge this point. In the last week of the sitting period in June, the opposition mocked Senator Wong and this government’s achievements in jobs growth by claiming that they could not find even one of ‘Penny Wong’s marvellous green jobs’. What else would you expect from the opposition, Mr President. When their heads are buried in the sand, no doubt they cannot find where climate change is heading or where this government’s nation-building jobs program is succeeding.

Since the $4 billion Energy Efficient Homes package, including the $1,600 solar hot water rebate, commenced, it has already been transforming Australian homes and providing a jobs boost to manufacturing, distribution and installation during these tough economic times. Furthermore, this government has recently announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding under which the Rudd government, industry and job service providers will work closely together to ensure job seekers are connected to job opportunities under the Energy Efficient Homes package. The parties to the memorandum are the Australian government, the National Employment Services Association, Master Builders Australia, the Housing Industry Association and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. The memorandum will help bring about better training and jobs for Australian job seekers, including disadvantaged and Indigenous job seekers, both directly in insulation installation jobs under the Energy Efficient Homes package and as an introduction to broader job opportunities in the building and construction industry. It will also help ensure greater numbers of skilled workers for insulation installation, and for future initiatives and opportunities in the building and construction sector more generally. The agreement is aimed at maximising the thousands of job opportunities for job seekers across Australia that arise out of the Energy Efficient Homes package and ensuring that the jobs actually find their way to people looking for work.

Returning to the official opening of the Bradford insulation plant in Dickson, the Operations Manager, Andrew Rowe, showed the minister and others through the manufacturing process, providing an in-depth understanding of how insulation is made. Essentially, the insulation commences down at what they call the hot end of the plant, where 80 per cent of recycled glass is melted and added to the other raw materials—sand, limestone, borax and felspar. The furnace is an electric resistance cold-top model operating at 1300 Celsius. After this process, there are a variety of different techniques, ranging from forming chambers allowing the matt to form, to washing, curing, cutting and, finally, packaging. Besides the use of recycled glass in the manufacturing, all water used is recycled in the overall process.

The Bradford Insulation Group has been manufacturing energy-saving insulation in Australia since 1934. With extensive operations across the Asia-Pacific region, Bradford Insulation is a world-renowned leader in the insulation industry, with a long involvement in providing energy efficient solutions. So when it comes to energy saving, the environment and jobs growth, CSR Bradford and this government are on the one page. And like the two-thirds of voters who support the Rudd government’s emissions trading scheme, clearly we see an overwhelming response to another Rudd government initiative, the Energy Efficient Homes package.