Lest we forget? The home insulation scheme ...

During February 2009, the Aluminium Foil Insulation Association wrote to Rudd to raise concerns about the rebate and the likelihood that the scheme would open the door to a flood of cheap fibreglass imports and do little to benefit Australian manufacturers. It received no reply from Rudd or Garrett, or any departmental acknowledgement that the letter had been received or considered.

The CFMEU National secretary Dave Noonan indicated that the union had “expressed concerns about the poor level of training right from the start” and that workers needed to be trained “to identify potential electrical risks” and “the risks involved in working at heights and in confined spaces”. Because “this program would attract young, vulnerable workers with no experience in the construction industry”, Noonan urged “proper training regarding unsafe work practices and their right to refuse to work in an unsafe environment”.

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) chief executive James Tinslay wrote to Garrett (March 9, 2009) about the need to train installers, while also indicating that there were “inherent dangers” with foil insulation if installed inappropriately near electrical equipment and cables.

During April 2009, state government officials raised various concerns. First, that Commonwealth had not mandated qualifications for insulation installers. Second, no criteria for companies were being listed on the Federal register of insulation installers. Third, that being on the register would be seen by consumers as a government endorsement of these insulation companies. State officials were not impressed with the prospect of being responsible for any accident, death or blaze caused by the program.

The West Australian Treasurer Troy Buswell states that federal environment officials told state consumer agencies officers via a phone hook-up during April 2009 that a 10 per cent failure rate was to be expected (up to 100,000 homes).

More warnings were provided by the Project Control Group, set up to oversee the program with officials from the Department of Environment, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and other agencies, including Medicare and the Australian Taxation Office. It concluded several times (July 31, September 17 and October 1) that unsafe or incorrectly installed ceiling batts could lead to “fire/damage, injury or death”.

For the most part, the Rudd government merely reacted to emerging problems.

With considerable publicity about shonky operators among the new insulation installer companies, the government cut the insulation rebate from $1,600 to $1,200 in November 2009, although the Opposition urged a reduction to $1,000.

After metal fasteners were implicated in two deaths in relation to the insulation scheme, the government withdrew the rebate for foil products held in place with staples or metal fasteners with installers now having to use plastic staples.

After the death of a fourth installer during February 2010, the government suspended the use of aluminium foil in its insulation program.

On February 19, 2010, the government froze the scheme until June 1 and announced that all 7,300 insulation firms will have to re-register under new rules. Further, any future insulation rebate would be limited to a $1,000 rebate.

It was only on February 12, 2010, that mandatory training becoming compulsory for installers, after the number of installers nationwide increased from about 250 to 7,000 in the past year. Only then was every insulation installer on the government’s register obliged to have occupational health and safety training as well as either trade-specific training, and insulation training, or at least two years prior experience in installing ceiling insulation.