WITH summer around the corner but the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions ongoing, the need for the Victorian Government to act on air-conditioning for public housing is becoming urgent.

Member for Mildura Ali Cupper last week spoke with Minister for Planning and Housing Richard Wynne’s office to lobby the government to install air-conditioning in public housing prior to summer.

Ms Cupper will bring the issue to light in an adjournment speech in Victorian Parliament this week.

In a speech to Victorian Parliament in June, Ms Cupper urged the State Government to invest in public housing air-conditioning, arguing the longer and hotter heatwaves during summer made it a matter of public safety and survival as opposed to comfort.

“This will require a more place-based approach to electricity subsidies, which I believe is something this government is able to do if it has the will,” she said.

Research has shown 77 per cent of Mildura’s summer nights are above the healthy sleeping temperature.

Ms Cupper said the ongoing restrictions around COVID-19 made the need for air-conditioning even more pressing.

“Under the current Stage 3 restrictions, people are only meant to be leaving their house for one of four reasons – work, education, shopping to essential goods or for medical reasons,” she said.

“Escaping heat from a house without air-conditioning is not one of those reasons.

“People in public housing have traditionally escaped their homes during heatwaves by spending time at public refuges like shopping centres, libraries, the cinema or other similar venues.

“If that option is not open to people during summer, we need to ensure people have access to air-conditioning in their homes and I am pushing the Government to provide funding in the October/November budget for that purpose.”