Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move Australian Greens amendments (2) and (3) on sheet 6124 together:

(2)    Clause 13, page 12 (after line 16), before paragraph (1)(a), insert:

           (aa)    the size of the building; and

           (ab)    the electricity consumption for the building for the preceding calendar year; and

           (ac)    the natural gas consumption, if any, for the building for the preceding calendar year; and

(3)    Clause 13, page 12 (after line 24), before paragraph (2)(a), insert:

           (aa)    the size of area of the building; and

           (ab)    the electricity consumption for the area of the building for the preceding calendar year; and

           (ac)    the natural gas consumption, if any, for the area of the building for the preceding calendar year; and

The chamber having rejected the first Greens amendment, I have moved these amendments which basically say that the same harvesting of data should occur but only when a neighbour’s rating is done for mandatory disclosure purposes. Obviously this would harvest much less data, but it is better than nothing. I am really shocked at what little concern there is about this issue, which is so critical to climate change.

Question negatived.

Mr Temporary Chairman McGauran, I ask that it be recorded that it was only the Greens in the Senate who supported Greens amendments (2) and (3). I now move Greens amendment (4) on sheet 6124:

(4)    Page 14 (after line 7), after clause 13, insert:

        (1)    If the Commonwealth owns a building that is:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 1,000 square metres in area;

the Commonwealth must, by 1 January 2011, display the current building energy efficiency certificate for the building prominently in a location in the building that is accessible by the public.

        (2)    If the Commonwealth leases a building or an area of a building that is:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 1,000 square metres in area;

the owner of the building must, by 1 January 2011, display the current building energy efficiency certificate for the building or the relevant area of the building prominently in a location in the building or in the relevant area that is accessible by the public.

        (3)    If a constitutional corporation owns or leases a building or an area of a building that is:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 5,000 square metres in area;

the constitutional corporation must, by 1 January 2011, display the current building energy efficiency certificate for the building or the relevant area of the building prominently in a location in the building or in the relevant area that is accessible by the public.

        (4)    If a constitutional corporation owns or leases a building or an area of a building that is:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 4,000 square metres in area;

the constitutional corporation must, by 1 January 2012, display the current building energy efficiency certificate for the building or the relevant area of the building prominently in a location in the building or in the relevant area that is accessible by the public.

        (5)    If a constitutional corporation owns or leases a building or an area of a building that is:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 3,000 square metres in area;

the constitutional corporation must, by 1 January 2013, display the current building energy efficiency certificate for the building or the relevant area of the building prominently in a location in the building or in the relevant area that is accessible by the public.

        (6)    If a constitutional corporation owns or leases a building or an area of a building that is:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 2,000 square metres in area;

the constitutional corporation must, by 1 January 2014, display the current building energy efficiency certificate for the building or the relevant area of the building prominently in a location in the building or in the relevant area that is accessible by the public.

        (1)    The Minister must cause an independent review to be undertaken and completed by 31 December 2013 to consider whether the obligation to report annual energy use and the display requirements in subsections 13A(3) to (6) should be extended to buildings or areas of buildings owned or leased by constitutional corporations and that are:

             (a)    used or capable of being used as an office; and

             (b)    equal to or greater than 1,000 square metres in area.

        (2)    The review must be undertaken by a person who, in the Minister’s opinion, possesses appropriate qualifications to undertake the review.

        (3)    The person undertaking the review must give the Minister a written report of the review before 31 December 2013.

        (4)    The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the day on which the report is given to the Minister.

        (5)    The report is not a legislative instrument.

        (6)    The Minister must ensure that any bill to implement the recommendations of the review is introduced into the Parliament by 28 February 2014.

Where a building is larger than 1,000 square metres and owned or leased by the Commonwealth from January 2011, where a building is larger than 5,000 square metres and owned or leased by a corporation from January 2011, where a building is larger than 4,000 square metres and owned or leased by a corporation from January 2012, where a building is larger than 3,000 square metres and owned or leased by a corporation from January 2013 and where a building is larger than 2,000 square metres and owned or leased by a corporation from January 2014, we have specified that all of those require the minister to commission a review in 2013 to consider extending the scheme by requiring office buildings down to 1,000 metres to display the BEEC. I think that is self-explanatory and I would be very surprised as to why anyone would object to it.

Question negatived.

Mr Temporary Chairman, I ask that it be recorded that only the Greens supported Greens amendment (4).

Bill agreed to.

Bill reported without amendment; report adopted.