Property Council NSW Executive Director Katie Stevenson said the State Government should also explore preferential financing mechanisms to incentivise sustainable buildings and energy efficiency upgrades.
“We’re calling on NSW to work with the Australian Government, property, and finance sectors to fund green home finance products – green mortgages, equity loans and home improvement loans – and to help industry find ways to reduce the cost of retrofitting housing stock,” Ms Stevenson said.
“Our green building sector is advanced and well-positioned to contribute to economic growth and job creation, and government policies play a crucial role in shaping the industry.
“We need to accelerate the shift to high-performance buildings, with targeted incentives and innovative financing, and strong government leadership can provide the certainty we need for long term planning and innovation in design, construction, and energy efficiency,” she said.
The Property Council’s Pre-Budget Submission also calls for the creation of a joint NSW/Australian Government co-funded scheme to drive all-electric home retrofits on existing homes, and for the NSW Government to make a clear commitment for government owned and leased buildings.
“Electrification is critical to a net-zero built environment, and we’re calling for the Budget to prioritise the social and community housing sector with the new scheme,” Ms Stevenson said.
“We’re also calling for the NSW Government to commit to a trajectory of performance improvements for all government-owned and leased properties over time, with the aim of achieving zero-carbon-ready new and existing buildings by 2030.
“This should cover all asset types, including social housing, office buildings, schools, hospitals and industrial facilities.
“Measures could include strong minimum standards for new buildings and fit-outs, targets for energy efficiency and requirements around electrification and renewable energy, and offsite renewable energy and offsets,” she said.
