4. Financial incentives

4.1 Sustainability Fund

The Sustainability Fund encourages projects that increase resource efficiency while improving sustainable practices. The Fund is jointly administered by the Victorian Treasurer and Minister for Environment and Climate Change and managed by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government.

The Fund supports sustainability projects in schools, businesses, local government and community groups across Victoria.

Projects supported through this fund deliver practical and affordable solutions to tackle climate change and help Victoria reduce its environmental impact. Since its establishment in 2002, the Sustainability Fund has provided over $166.7 million in funding to support over 250 diverse projects across Victoria.

4.2 Water Efficiency Programs

There are a number of incentives to improve water efficiency in both the residential and non-residential sectors. These include:

• $5 million for 5,000 additional rebates for rainwater tanks plumbed into toilet systems;
• $1.6 million to appoint 10 additional water advisors for industry water saving programs;
• $1.3 million to expand programs to reduce leaks and wastage of firewater in buildings;
• $750,000 for the replacement of low-flow showerheads (bringing the total number of low-flow showerheads exchanged to 500,000)
• $750,000 for the Industry and Commercial Water Efficiency incentive; and
• $600,000 to double the rebate for dual-flush toilets, in order to replace 12,000 single-flush toilets.

Savewater.com.au is a helpful website providing information on water saving.

4.3 Solar Energy Hubs for Victorian Communities

The Solar Hubs program allocates $5 million to create up to 10 solar energy hubs across the State by 2013 - many in regional Victoria. Communities will benefit from bulk purchases of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and installation services, reducing the cost of individual rooftop PV system installations.

The solar energy hubs will be developed through partnerships between local community groups, local government, sustainability groups and other interested parties. These partnerships will form proposals for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels, which could be installed in a group of houses, community buildings or commercial properties.

Grants for the solar energy hubs will range from $250,000 to $1 million, with the maximum amount of up to $500 per kilowatt of individual photovoltaic system installed.

So far, $2.2 million has been allocated to assist in development of solar hubs in local communities, reducing the cost of individual rooftop solar system installations.

4.4 Solar Hot Water Rebates

The Victorian Government Metropolitan Melbourne rebate of between $300 and $1500 is available to assist households in Metropolitan Melbourne to replace their existing gas hot water system or solar hot water system to solar.

Then rebate for Regional Victoria provides rebates of between $400 and $1600 to assist regional Victorian households to switch their existing gas hot water system or solar hot water system to solar.

A rebate is also available to applicants replacing an electric water heater and have installed ceiling insulation under the Australian Government's now-discontinued Homeowner Insulation Program.

The Victorian Government rebate is provided as a point-of-sale discount off the supply and installation costs to householders and is only available through participating manufacturers, suppliers and plumbers. Participating suppliers are responsible for both the supply and installation of the solar hot water system.