Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, upon notice, on 2 November 2011:

(1)   Has the department had any dealings with the Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA).

(2)   Is the department aware of any concerns with ABSA.

(3)   How does the department check the work of groups like ABSA in the delivery of programs like the Green Loans program and the mandatory disclosure in residential building scheme.

(4)   Has the department received any complaints in relation to the conduct of ABSA.

(5)   Does the department have any concerns with the conduct of ABSA.

(6)   Can details be provided, including the program and date, of how much funding the ABSA has received from the department.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Yes, the Department has had dealings with ABSA.

(2) ABSA was the sole and successful tenderer for the function of the Assessor Accrediting Organisation (AAO) under the Green Loans Program. Issues in relation to ABSA in this role were raised in the 2010 Independent Inquiry—Green Loans Program (Faulkner Review), Review of the Green Loans Program (Resolution Consulting), ANAO Performance Audit of the Green Loans Porgram and the Senate Inquiry into the Green Loans Program. The then Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, then responsible for the Green Loans Program, responded to issues raised in the Faulkner Review. The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency also responded to the Faulkner Review and ANAO audit. The Government responded to the Senate Inquiry. The documents mentioned above are available at:

www.climatechange.gov.au/media/whats-new/green-loans.aspx,

www.anao.gov.au/~/media/Uploads/Documents/2010%2011_audit_report_no_9_.pdf,

www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ec_ctte/green_loans/index.htm and

www.climatechange.gov.au/media/response-to-performance-audit-of-green-loans-program.aspx.

(3) As an AAO under the Nationwide Home Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) Scheme, ABSA provides an annual report to the Department on how they meet the requirements of the NatHERS AAO Protocol (see www.nathers.gov.au/assessors/index.html)

(4) Please refer to Part (2).

(5) Please refer to Part (2).

(6) In 2011-12, ABSA has been contracted to complete two studies for the Department in relation to NatHERS:

  (a) a scoping study on development of a common NatHERS certificate—$22,990 (incl GST); and

  (b) development of a NatHERS software users guide—$48,500 (incl GST).