Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong. Minister, how many audits of homes completed by green loans assessors are sitting in the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts waiting to be returned to homeowners?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. As the chamber would be aware, there were changes announced by Minister Garrett also to—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, ignore the interjections; just address the chair.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am trying to, Mr President. Senator Hutchins is being amusing—that is all. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts announced a range of changes to the Green Loans Program. I think the senator’s question refers to the transitional arrangements associated with that. I do not have any advice that I can find at this point about, as I think the question was, the number of audits or assessments within the department at the moment. I can advise her that, at 21 February 2010, more than 294,000 assessments had been booked, more than 192,000 assessments had been completed and over 81,000 assessment reports had been provided to households. I am not sure that those figures go directly to the particular question she asked. That is the information I have at this point.

I can indicate to her that the minister for the environment has also indicated that loans will be discontinued from 22 March 2010 and that, as at 21 February, some 2,400 applications for green loans had been received by financial institutions and some 1,600 had been issued. If there is further information, other than that which I have provided her, on that issue or if the figures differ from the figures I have provided, I will seek advice from the minister for the environment.

Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is it true, Minister, that home audits completed as long ago as August last year are still sitting in the department waiting to be returned to homeowners?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you—through you, Mr President—to the senator. I do not have any advice about the time frames regarding assessments or audits in the department, when they were received or when they will return them to householders. The advice I have is in relation to the numbers which have been both booked and completed. I again say that some 81,000 assessment reports have been provided to households, from the information provided to me.

Judith Adams (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website advises that green loans will be discontinued from 22 March 2010. Will all home audits be returned to homeowners in time for them to consider applying for a green loan, and can the minister confirm that all participating financial institutions are still offering green loans to customers?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first part of this supplementary question really reiterates the primary question. As I have said, this is probably about transitional issues. As I have indicated, I will obtain advice on that issue. In relation to the second part of the question, what I can indicate is that, as I previously said, loans are to be discontinued from 22 March. I again indicate that eligibility for loans is determined by financial institutions, and I provided figures to the chamber in the previous answer on the number of green loans received and issued, which were, respectively, 2,400 and 1,600 as of 21 February. I do not have advice on the specific issue of whether there are any financial institutions that are no longer participating in the interim period between the announcement and 22 March. I will obtain advice on that issue and come back to the Senate.