Queensland Scraps Mandatory Rainwater Tank and Hot Water Law

Queenslanders will no longer be obligated to replace rainwater tanks and hot water systems in new homes, after the Newman Government scrapped its mandate.

Homeowners will instead be given the option of installing rainwater tanks and replacing broken electric hot water systems with solar, heat pump or gas hot water systems in new properties.

Why the Law Change?

Housing Minister Tim Mander said the legislation changes, which were announced alongside the $15,000 first home owner’s grant, could help homeowners shave at least $5000 off their building costs.

Mander pointed to a Mainstream Economics and Policy study commissioned by the government, which shows that rainwater tank installation can be costly (up to $6000 up-front) and may have little benefit.

“[The study shows that] the impact of rainwater tanks on bulk water supplies is negligible and certainly not cost effective," Mander said.

When the laws were first introduced, Queensland was in the midst of a devastating drought. Since then, Queenslanders have adopted several water-saving initiatives and are now much more aware of minimising water wastage.

And while solar, gas and heat pump water systems are more energy efficient than electric units, they can be more costly to install.

Speaking on behalf of Master Builders, housing policy director Paul Bidwell said that giving homeowners an option would boost housing affordability.

That being said, the decision is certainly not one that favours rainwater tank installers or hot water system suppliers.

Benefits of Rainwater Tanks

While homeowners in Queensland are no longer required to install rainwater tanks, there are still many great reasons to do so. Rainwater tanks may:

• Cut your water usage and bill

• Reduce your home’s reliance on water supplies

• Provide a back-up water supply during droughts and water restrictions

Despite the Mainstream Economics and Policy report showing that the savings are too little to offset the cost of installing and maintaining a rainwater tank, this may not be the case in all areas.

The Choice is Yours

Even though the mandate has been scrapped, homeowners will still have the option to install or upgrade tanks and hot water systems.

“People who want to install rainwater tanks or a particular type of hot water system can still do so,” Mander said.

Local councils will also have the option of keeping mandatory rainwater tank installation rules. To do so, they will have to prove that doing so benefits their community

homeimprovementpages.com.au 14 Feb 2013

 

So the government has concluded (from a government sponsored study) that storage of rainwater by individual households holds little or no merit, consequently changing the law, making it no longer mandatory to install water tanks.

In Victoria, the government is still a little behind.