The Environment Minister’s release yesterday of a new Sustainable Housing Code is a step forward, but is brimming with missed opportunity.

Queensland Greens candidate for Chatsworth Elissa Jenkins said it did little to move Queensland’s current housing stock toward sustainability.

“It does nothing to inspire the innovative design of new sustainable homes and has failed to look at the benefits of harvesting rainwater.

“Queensland’s new Sustainable Housing Code is a faltering stumble in the right direction” said Chatsworth candidate Elissa Jenkins.

It’s a shame that Minister Boyle has missed a great opportunity to solve any future water crisis by mandating rainwater tanks for new housing developments.

“Finally Queensland’s developers will have to install dual-flush toilets and AAA-rated shower heads as standard – things which most householders have been demanding for years.”

“It’s a shame that Minister Boyle has missed a great opportunity to solve any future water crisis by mandating rainwater tanks for new housing developments. That alone would have set South East Queensland firmly on the road to sustainability.

“People all over Queensland have been harvesting rainwater for years and Queensland businesses lead the world in rainwater harvesting techniques.

“If Minister Boyle had merely looked as far as Oxenford she would have seen the finest potable rainwater collection system in the world today.

“Instead she equivocates over ‘developing standards’ when those answers have been out there for many years.”

Chatsworth candidate Elissa Jenkins said the most important issue of sustainable housing was good design and proper orientation and ventilation.

“The new code is a very small attempt towards sustainability as it fails to address the issue of water tanks in all new houses and grey water usage for the garden which would reduce water consumption by nearly half.”

Elissa Jenkins said that while it was good to see that the Queensland Government was moving away from the wasteful and polluting use of electricity to heat water, no mention is made of basic house design, insulation, solar alignment or use of shade.

“The current trend to simply transplant house designs from the southern states, taking no account of climatic differences, has led to a massive overuse of air-conditioning.

“Appropriate design standards would help Queensland to meet its energy needs without building a costly and polluting power station at Kogan Creek.

For more information visit www.rainharvesting.com.au or visit the Queensland Conversation Council report entitled ‘Towards Queensland’s Clean Energy Future at http://www.qccqld.org.au/climate_change/

**Written and authorised by Elissa Jenkins, 11 Sussex Street, West End QLD 4101**