The recent initiatives annouced by Mr Rudd and Mr Howard with regard to planned and proposed rebates to homeowners for the purchase and installation of ‘green’ products is wonderful.
However, looking around the capital of Australia, Sydney I see lots of apartments which are rented. Two points here; a) greening an apartment with solar hot water or rain tanks is not easy and b) most apartments are rented meaning that the investors of said apartments in Australia’s slowest moving economy are not going to want to part with any kind of cash in order to get some of it back They are already doing that to their banks and the taxman.
Low interest or even no interest loans for green improvements are not going to make much impact on investors who are already geared to their eye balls.
But, it’s a great start.