MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper has called on the Victorian Government to invest in airconditioning in public housing in the north-west and consider the type of materials used to build new houses in a region that is getting hotter.

Ms Cupper told parliament this week airconditioning in public housing was a public health and survival issue, rather than a comfort one, in the wake of research showing the impact of heatwaves had worsened over the past 30 years.

“Leaving public housing tenants to fend for themselves without this essential utility in the era of climate change is a dereliction of the state’s duty and, quite simply, inhumane,” she said.

Ms Cupper said in the short-term, the government needed a more place-based approach to electricity subsidies in order to supply airconditioning in public housing.

“Surely this would not be too hard for a government with the right political will,” she said.

Ms Cupper said consideration to design, insulation and construction materials for new public housing was needed in the long-term.

“I am a keen and passionate member of the government’s industrial hemp taskforce, and I have been learning about the benefits of hemp as a product that can be used in the construction of eco-friendly housing in the form of hempcrete.

“Hempcrete is made by mixing woody fibre from the inside of the hemp stalk with lime and water. The result is a product that requires very little adaptation from the normal building process. It boasts high levels of carbon sequestration and is also a highly effective insulator.”

Ms Cupper said the taskforce, along with industry partners, was looking at proposals to establish and expand hempcrete processing facilities in Victoria, hopefully in the Mallee.

“There has never been a better time for the Victorian Government to start using this remarkable material to build its housing stock to support an exciting new industry and create massive untapped opportunities for regional economies,” she said.

“It is time for the Victorian Government to recognise that the climate in my electorate desperately requires a place-based approach.”

The full speech can be found at: https://parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Assembly_2020/Legislative_Assembly_2020-06-03.pdf