Energy efficient aged care homes in doubt
Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) has called on the Government to clarify and confirm the eligibility of aged care services for the insulation and solar hot water rebates.
This follows the Minister for Ageing announcing that rebates would be available for aged care facilities, then the Shadow Minister, Margaret May, saying that businesses (and aged care facilities) were ineligible to apply for the rebates.
ACSA chief executive officer, Greg Mundy, said that “Aged care homes are just that; people’s homes, and residents in them should be treated in the same way as other Australians.
“It would be unfair if frail older Australians living in aged care homes were not treated as well as people living in other forms of accommodation.
“The insulation and solar hot water rebates should be available on a per resident basis and paid to aged care facilities as they would be to landlords for rented accommodation.
“We presume that this was Minister Elliot’s intent when she urged aged care homes to apply for the $1,600 Solar Hot Water rebate and the $1,000 insulation rebate.
“This could help many older aged care homes without insulation to become more energy efficient and improve the comfort of their residents.
“There now seems to be some confusion about the eligibility of aged care homes to apply for these rebates which will cause anxiety until the Minister’s intent is re-affirmed.
“Responses to Opposition questions in the Senate Estimates process appear to cast doubt on the Government’s intent in this regard.
“This was presumably the thinking behind Minister Elliot’s statement – which we applaud. It is something that should be strongly supported.
“The Australian Government now needs to confirm this approach and put an end to the confusion surrounding this matter.”
