Policy Snapshot - August 2023

All new Victorian homes to be all-electric

The Victorian Government has announced that from 1 January 2024, all new homes and residential subdivisions will be all-electric. GBCA applauds this commitment which will apply to all new homes requiring a planning permit, including new public and social housing delivered by Homes Victoria. Effective immediately, all new public buildings that haven’t yet reached design stage must also be all-electric. This includes new schools, hospitals, police stations and other government-owned buildings. 

A net zero 2050 plan for the built environment

The Australian Government has committed to a Net Zero 2050 plan that will include a decarbonisation plan for the built environment alongside other sectors such as energy, industry, agriculture, transport and resources. Sectoral plans are vital for attracting billions in new investment in decarbonisation in Australia, setting strong 2035 targets and determining robust, ambitious sector-specific pathways to achieve them.

Measuring what matters

Measuring What Matters is Australia’s first national wellbeing framework that will track our progress towards a more healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive and prosperous Australia. Announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers in July, the framework aims to create a better understanding of Australia’s social wellbeing as well as economic progress to inform and underpin policy making at all levels.  

Australia’s approach to Measuring What Matters will be iterative and ongoing, and will be shaped by continuous conversation with the community about how data should be collected and captured. 

Support for more sustainable residential accommodation in Sydney

Applications are now open for the City of Sydney’s grant program which aims to drive existing residential buildings to be resource efficient and achieve net zero emissions. Building owners in the residential accommodation sector can apply for grants to undertake environmental ratings, certifications, audits and assessments for existing buildings. 

New solar battery loans to help save on energy bills and emissions

The Victorian Government has announced a new $8,800 interest free battery loan for eligible Victorian households. These will help households to reduce the upfront costs of installing a battery, maximise output from their solar panels and save thousands on energy bills over the lifetime of the battery, while also helping Victoria to reach net zero emissions by 2045.