Shopping centres, hotels and office block owners are finding it easier to upgrade and reduce greenhouse gas emissions thanks to the Gillard Labor Government’s Green Building Fund and Tax Breaks for Green Buildings Program.
Announcing $35.2 million in funding to green-up 90 buildings nationally, Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said Australia’s commercial buildings generate significant greenhouse gas emissions every year.
“The Government and building owners must work together to improve our buildings and create a richer, fairer and greener Australia,” Senator Carr said.
“The buildings that will be transformed include hotels, shopping centres and office blocks. We expect the upgrades to reduce the buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 118,000 tonnes a year.
“The fit-outs the companies will undertake may include new state-of-the-art heating and air conditioning systems, smart room controllers (for hotel guest rooms), energy efficient lighting systems and building energy management systems. These improvements will significantly reduce energy, saving the environment and saving money for the business owner.”
The Green Building Fund began in 2008 and was expanded in 2010 to include existing hotels and shopping centres. This expansion saw the Innovation Department receive a 32 per cent increase in applications to the fund - an unprecedented 261 applications were received for this round of funding.
“The high number of applications received shows the commitment of Australian building owners to make changes and help fight climate change,” Senator Carr said.
The Green Building Fund has now generated total expected emission savings of almost 300,000 tonnes per year - an outstanding result. A list of Round 7 grant offers is available. For more information, visit www.ausindustry.gov.au.
The Fund complements the Government’s Clean Energy Future initiative (www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au), which is supporting jobs and providing incentives for Australians to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency. This investment will help the Australian economy remain competitive as countries around the globe move to reduce carbon pollution.
From 1 July 2012, eligible businesses that invest in improving the energy efficiency of their existing buildings will be able to apply for a tax break through the $1 billion Tax Breaks for Green Buildings Program.
