16 August 2007

GOVERNMENT IN A SPIN ON WASHING MACHINE REBATE

Is the State Government trying to soft soap the people of Victoria on washing machine rebates? It appears so, according to The Nationals’ Energy and Resources spokesperson, Peter Hall.

Mr Hall has asked the new Minister for Water why, after press announcements by the former Premier and written confirmation from the former Water Minister, the bodies supposedly implementing a washing machine rebate scheme know nothing about it.

Mr Hall has been trying to find out on behalf of a constituent how to access a $100.00 rebate, supposedly available when an old machine is replaced a new one sporting at least a four star water rating.

“The announcements have been made and I have a letter from the former Minister stating how to go about claiming the rebate,” Mr Hall said. “The problem is, the organisations who the Minister and Premier said to contact don’t know about it.”

Mr Hall raised the matter in Parliament this week, presenting the new Minister which what he described as “a challenge.”

“It originated when a constituent of mine inquired about whether a rebate might be available for a water-efficient washing machine,” Mr Hall said.

“As a consequence of that inquiry I wrote to the then Minister for Water, Environment and Climate Change seeking some information on whether such a rebate might be available.

“Within three weeks I got a positive reply from the minister indicating that, yes, there is a water rebate available for high efficiency washing machines, and that the Premier had announced that on 17 April this year.”

The Minister advised that the rebate was for $100 and that Sustainability Victoria was administering the scheme. “The minister also referred to two other sources of information -- the www.ourwater.vic.gov.au website and my local water authority, Gippsland Water -- and gave a contact number for Gippsland Water.

“I looked up the press release announcement made by the office of the then Premier, Steve Bracks, on Tuesday, 17 April, which indicated that there would be a $100 rebate if one replaced an old washing machine with a highly efficient new model which reached at least a 4-star water rating.”

Mr Hall advised his constituent of the details, but when the constituent tried to access the relevant information, nothing was to be found.

“He made inquiries on the www.ourwater.vic.gov.au website and found no mention whatsoever of any such rebate on that site. He also rang Gippsland Water and Sustainability Victoria without any success. They had no knowledge of any such scheme.”

Mr Hall told Parliament he tried himself to find the information.
“I looked at the www.ourwater.vic.gov.au website,” Mr Hall said. “There was no mention of the former Premier's announcement about a rebate for washing machines. I rang my local water authority, Gippsland Water. It also had no knowledge of such a scheme.

“I rang Sustainability Victoria, and the phone call was returned the following day by somebody who had some knowledge of the matter. Their knowledge extended to the fact that they knew that the then Premier had made an announcement on 17 April about this matter, but they had no knowledge of and had received no direction from government about how and when this scheme would operate.”
Mr Hall said everyone is now in the dark.

“Despite the advice from the then water minister on 18 July to me that a scheme exists, nobody knows about it.”

Mr Hall said his challenge to the new Minister is for him to put in place the mechanisms to enable people to claim the rebate promised.

“Perhaps he will have the courtesy to advise me how my constituent can go about actually applying for and getting his $100 rebate,” he added.

Media contact:                  Peter Hall      (03) 5174 7066   or 0427 747 066