Mr REED - 2003-02-27
Do you agree with builders and building certifiers reporting in today’s NT News, that the cost of building a home will increase by $5000, and building certification charges will increase by $250 per home as a result of your new regulations that dictate window size, glazing thickness, building design, colour schemes and other mandatory regulations? Do you also agree that these regulations remove individual choice and destroys the freedom and easygoing lifestyle of Territorians? Like the control of air space over Katherine Gorge, isn’t this just another con job; that is, a mess?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a very interesting question, because I thought the member served as a minister of this government for a large number of years and, as such, he should know that government always directed how you built your house under the Building Code of Australia. Governments specified the material …
A member: Well, why haven’t New South Wales and Victoria done it?
Mr VATSKALIS: The member for Daly, who also served as a Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment should have better knowledge about it. Nowhere is there any imposition about what colour you are going to use to paint your house. There is no imposition about painting it white, yellow, or purple with blue spots.
Let us start from the beginning about the so-called imposition of the government directing how you are going to build your house. What you read today in the newspaper is true. The Building Code of Australia has changed, and you could easily have come to it, but these conditions were a Howard government initiative. It is part of the greenhouse strategy.
Mr Reed: Oh right.
Mr VATSKALIS: Certainly, and if the member for Katherine was actually reading the newspaper before, he would find out, despite what he wrote in his newsletter, that all these changes did not happen in secrecy because they were widely advertised. Members of the Building Code of Australia came to Darwin, they had seminars and, also after that, my department advertised widely in NT News. This is the real size of the advertisement that went into the newspaper advising building professionals about the proposed changes to the Building Code of Australia.
To go further, talking about lifestyle and about this terrible Martin government putting more constraints on the building industry, well, Tasmania and South Australia have immediately adopted these changes. New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT have not yet, for the simple reason their existing regulations are tougher than the ones the Building Code of Australia demands. They are proposing to adopt it on 1 July 2003 after they streamline their legislation to comply with the Building Code of Australia.
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: The member for Katherine’s former profession was as a ranger …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, enough!
Mr VATSKALIS: Unfortunately for the member for Katherine, I implemented and enforced the Building Code of Australia for seven years in my previous life, and I know how it works, how changes are made and how people are obliged, by law, to comply with the requirements of the Building Code of Australia.
You should know that, living in a place like the Territory which is hot and humid, somebody has to be out of his mind to paint his roof black, brown or deep blue. The reality is …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: … and I will explain why, member for Katherine.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: I will explain why. You can actually paint it black but, because of additional insulation, you have to consider the cost of additional energy you have to expend to cool your house down, because dark colours …
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Obviously, physics was not your strong point at high school. Dark colours absorb heat.
Let us go back to the cost of housing. Builders in the Territory already implemented these changes before they were ever incorporated into the Building Code of Australia. Most of the builders in the Northern Territory already build under these standards. If they have done it, the cost to the house will be $2000, and probably for a big house $5000. The reality is, you pay $2500 extra to construct your house, for a house that will be there for 50 years. The savings in energy in a 30-year life on the house are significant. The reality, member for Katherine, is that Territorians know very well about your allegations, about your expertise in science and, certainly, about your expertise in the budget, in budgeting and about counting money.
Well, I am sorry, member for Katherine, you are being mischievous and you are prepared to mislead the public. It is very interesting to see that the CLP in the Northern Territory is not supporting the Howard government initiative. You must be the only Liberal party, or that side of politics, that is not supporting initiatives of your colleagues in Canberra. Your allegations are totally untrue and will only create mischief in the community.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: All right, that is it. You have had your little fun for the first question. Do not expect any more leeway. You have been far too loud.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a very interesting question, because I thought the member served as a minister of this government for a large number of years and, as such, he should know that government always directed how you built your house under the Building Code of Australia. Governments specified the material …
A member: Well, why haven’t New South Wales and Victoria done it?
Mr VATSKALIS: The member for Daly, who also served as a Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment should have better knowledge about it. Nowhere is there any imposition about what colour you are going to use to paint your house. There is no imposition about painting it white, yellow, or purple with blue spots.
Let us start from the beginning about the so-called imposition of the government directing how you are going to build your house. What you read today in the newspaper is true. The Building Code of Australia has changed, and you could easily have come to it, but these conditions were a Howard government initiative. It is part of the greenhouse strategy.
Mr Reed: Oh right.
Mr VATSKALIS: Certainly, and if the member for Katherine was actually reading the newspaper before, he would find out, despite what he wrote in his newsletter, that all these changes did not happen in secrecy because they were widely advertised. Members of the Building Code of Australia came to Darwin, they had seminars and, also after that, my department advertised widely in NT News. This is the real size of the advertisement that went into the newspaper advising building professionals about the proposed changes to the Building Code of Australia.
To go further, talking about lifestyle and about this terrible Martin government putting more constraints on the building industry, well, Tasmania and South Australia have immediately adopted these changes. New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT have not yet, for the simple reason their existing regulations are tougher than the ones the Building Code of Australia demands. They are proposing to adopt it on 1 July 2003 after they streamline their legislation to comply with the Building Code of Australia.
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: The member for Katherine’s former profession was as a ranger …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, enough!
Mr VATSKALIS: Unfortunately for the member for Katherine, I implemented and enforced the Building Code of Australia for seven years in my previous life, and I know how it works, how changes are made and how people are obliged, by law, to comply with the requirements of the Building Code of Australia.
You should know that, living in a place like the Territory which is hot and humid, somebody has to be out of his mind to paint his roof black, brown or deep blue. The reality is …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: … and I will explain why, member for Katherine.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr VATSKALIS: I will explain why. You can actually paint it black but, because of additional insulation, you have to consider the cost of additional energy you have to expend to cool your house down, because dark colours …
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Obviously, physics was not your strong point at high school. Dark colours absorb heat.
Let us go back to the cost of housing. Builders in the Territory already implemented these changes before they were ever incorporated into the Building Code of Australia. Most of the builders in the Northern Territory already build under these standards. If they have done it, the cost to the house will be $2000, and probably for a big house $5000. The reality is, you pay $2500 extra to construct your house, for a house that will be there for 50 years. The savings in energy in a 30-year life on the house are significant. The reality, member for Katherine, is that Territorians know very well about your allegations, about your expertise in science and, certainly, about your expertise in the budget, in budgeting and about counting money.
Well, I am sorry, member for Katherine, you are being mischievous and you are prepared to mislead the public. It is very interesting to see that the CLP in the Northern Territory is not supporting the Howard government initiative. You must be the only Liberal party, or that side of politics, that is not supporting initiatives of your colleagues in Canberra. Your allegations are totally untrue and will only create mischief in the community.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: All right, that is it. You have had your little fun for the first question. Do not expect any more leeway. You have been far too loud.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016