7. Regulation
7.1 Six Star New Homes
From 1 May 2011, the Victorian Government will introduce the Six Star minimum standard for new homes and major renovations.
In 2005, Victoria introduced Five Star standards for new homes. Since then, around 35,000 homes have been built each year that are 50 per cent more efficient than their typical Two Star predecessors. In 2008, the Five Star scheme was expanded to include renovations and extensions, around 40,000 homes each year. As well as ensuring that more efficient homes are built, the standard also creates strong demand for tradespeople with appropriate skills, and boosts demand for industries that design, manufacture and construct energy-efficient products and materials.
7.2 Environmental and Resource Efficiency Plan (EREP)
The EREP program requires commercial and industrial sites using large amounts of energy or water (100 TJ of energy and/or 120 ML of water in a financial year) to develop a plan that identifies opportunities to reduce energy and water consumption, and waste generation. All opportunities that are identified as having a three-year or better payback, are required to be implemented under the program.
Businesses that are under the thresholds can register as a voluntary participant in the EREP program - and can access the guidance documents and support available through the EREP Team.
7.4 waterMAP
The Victorian Government's waterMAP program seeks to improve the water efficiency of major water-using commercial, industrial and institutional customers. WaterMAP applies to Victorian non-residential customer sites which consume 10 million litres of drinking water per annum or more at any one site from an urban supply, to complete a Water Management Plan (waterMAP) each year. This is a mandatory requirement as part of each water corporation's Permanent Water Savings Rules detailed in their Permanent Water Savings Plan.
There are approximately 1,750 non-residential customers across Victoria participating in waterMAP, with approximately 17 billion litres of water saved by this group since the program's inception in 2007. Water corporations work closely with EPA top remove any dual reporting requirements placed on customers that participate in the EREP program.
