Victorian public hospitals spent almost $70 million on energy costs in 2010-11 but lack the strategy to reduce that figure, according to a report released yesterday.
The Auditor-General’s report into energy efficiency in the health sector found it took the Department of Health three years to put to tender plans to make buildings greener - tardiness that placed the energy savings program at least one year behind schedule.
Under a program announced in 2010 to make government buildings greener, the department currently has facilities that account for 20 per cent of its total energy consumption committed to an energy performance contract. By 2018, the department aims to have facilities that account for 90 per cent of consumption under a contract.
The report found energy costs in 87 hospitals rose by 25 per cent between 2005-06 and 2010-11, yet the department had not developed an adequate policy in dealing with high energy costs, and questioned whether it could handle ”emerging challenges” such as increasing energy prices.
”The Department of Health’s approach to statewide planning for energy efficiency is inadequate,” said the report, tabled in Parliament.
”It does not have a documented policy or plan, and lacks a strategic focus and a co-ordinated approach. It does not align with health services’ local planning.
”While there have been improvements in energy efficiency across the health system over the past seven years, the lack of adequate planning approach has potentially limited the gains that could have been made.”
The report found hospitals and health services were the second-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases - more than 700,000 tonnes were released in 2010-11 alone - in the Victorian public sector, behind only water entities.
