AXE FALLS ON GREEN LOANS PROGRAM
July 13, 2010
The Rudd-Gillard Government’s bungled handling of the Green Loans Program has left many Gippslanders thousands of dollars out of pocket and angry with the government, according to The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.
Mr Chester said the $300 million program was the third Rudd-Gillard Government energy efficiency initiative to be axed after the pink batts debacle and the cost blowouts in the solar homes program.
The Faulkner Inquiry released last week, identified 149 breaches or issues with government procurement and contracting guidelines and legislation in the Green Loans Program.
Mr Chester said the axing of the program was further proof that the Rudd-Gillard Government can’t manage money and can’t be trusted to run a major environmental program.
“The collapse of the program will be no comfort for those involved. It was completely mismanaged and became an absolute disaster for participants,” Mr Chester said.
“Many Gippslanders spent between $2000 and $3000 to train as assessors under the program and have been left with nothing to show for their efforts.
“Community groups also felt the full brunt of the program’s failings. They invested time and money to train participants but had their work undone by government incompetence.”
Earlier this year, Mr Chester met with staff and participants of the Green Loans Program at the Heyfield Community Resource Centre (HCRC).
The centre trained over 300 people to become ‘green home assessors’ but the promised work failed to eventuate through government mismanagement.
Mr Chester said he had no confidence in the Labor Party’s attempts to cover up the failings of the Green Loans Program by announcing a transition to a new Green Start Program.
“Re-badging and re-assembling programs is not the answer. It didn’t work for the Home Insulation Program and it won’t work for the Green Loans Program,” Mr Chester said.
“Rather than trying to get this disaster up and running again it’s time the government provided answers on what really went wrong for the assessors and community groups who invested their own time and money into this failed program and taxpayers who have been left with the bill once again.”
