Mark Vender
AIRAH has welcomed the Federal Budget as a “steady first step” towards Australia’s longer-term goals.
Among the investments announced were many aimed at addressing the housing crisis in Australia. Under the new National Housing Accord, the government expects one million new homes to be built over five years from 2024. The Accord also includes funding for social housing, building on pre-existing commitments to affordable housing.
“The government’s efforts to tackle the problem of housing affordability are commendable,” says AIRAH Chief Executive Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH. “Along with the funds allocated to infrastructure projects, it will be a busy time for all in the building and construction industry. HVAC&R engineers and technicians will be in great demand.
“This big wave of home construction is also a great opportunity to foster the uptake of energy-efficient design and low-carbon materials. By ensuring that the new homes are built to higher than minimum standards, the government can not only protect householders from future hikes in energy costs, it can send a strong demand signal to industry for more sustainable products and services.”
Recognising the need for a large and professional workforce, the Budget includes measures to address the skills shortage. The government has committed to funding 480,000 fee-free TAFE and community-based vocational education places over four years. Skilled migration will also be significantly increased.
“In our industry, one of the biggest challenges in recent years has been finding skilled workers,” says Gleeson, “so the announcements around TAFE places and skilled migration are welcome. It’s a long-term issue, and one that will need a sustained effort, but this is certainly a start.
“Another issue closely related to the skills shortage is the need for greater diversity. As the peak body for a heavily male-dominated industry, AIRAH applauds the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality announced in the Budget. We will be eager to engage with government initiatives in this area.”
Climate change continues to be a focus, and this was reflected in various initiatives announced in the Budget. Given the impact of heating and cooling on emissions, much of this has implications for the HVAC&R industry.
The government has allocated $15.2 million to develop a National Energy Performance Strategy, around $4.6 million to expand and modernise the GEMS program and the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), and $62.5 million to help small to medium enterprises improve their energy efficiency by upgrading old, inefficient equipment and electrifying operations.
“Electrification is a major industry trend,” says Gleeson, “and a lot of the work relies on HVAC&R professionals – replacing gas boilers with heat pumps, for example. The good news is, it reduces our reliance on gas, which as the government warns, will only get more expensive. It will also help us achieve our net-zero target by reducing emissions. We expect to see further investment in this space in the near future.
“Overall, this is a positive Budget that sets Australia in the right direction. The HVAC&R sector is positioned to play a key role, and we look forward to tackling the vital work ahead.”
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