Request for costing on Government Insulation Scheme.

Graeme F Furlong made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Finance

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was successful.

Graeme F Furlong

Dear Department of Finance and Deregulation,
Dear Sirs,
When offered ceiling insulation as part of the government's scheme, we accepted for a property we own. the house was small and could have been commercially insulated for about $1200. The company was paid $1600 by the government scheme I understand.
Some three months later I was contacted and the work was inspected by two electricians who offered to take the insulation out, (but not replace it) or check and leave it. I chose to have it checked and left in. Some three months later I was again approached by an electrical company who stated were authorised to check out the work.
When I said that the original work had been checked, they said they were authorised to check the checkers...
So our small home was subject to over charging and could have cost the Government scheme two teams of electricians.
We heard of homes where limited insulation bales were thrown into roofs but not spread out, Also where Insulation pads were split using only half the normal amount. of material. We heard of 4 Deaths, and a large number of house fires due to unsafe installation..

My request is, 1. what was the FINAL COST of the whole Insulation scheme ?, Taking into consideration, the training, Department costs, Electrical checking, Removal costs, Insurance costs, compensation costs. And 2. secondly , HOW MANY HOUSES were satisfactorily insulated?. This number would not include the houses destroyed or where the insulation was removed.

Yours faithfully,
Graeme Furlong.

FOI Requests, Department of Finance

1 Attachment

Thank you for your email to the Freedom of Information section of the
Department of Finance and Deregulation. We have received your email and
will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible.

 

You may view further information relating to Freedom of Information on the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s [1]website.

 

[2]Signature blocks-blue bar.jpg

Freedom of Information

Legal and Strategic Support Branch

Department of Finance and Deregulation

 

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1. http://www.oaic.gov.au/foi-portal/about_...

FOI Requests, Department of Finance

UNCLASSIFIED

Good afternoon Graeme

Thank you for your email to the Department of Finance and Deregulation (Finance).

Unfortunately, Finance is not responsible for the administration of the Home Insulation Program so we are not in a position to answer your FOI.

We suggest you withdraw your FOI request with Finance and instead make a request to the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (DRET) who are responsible for administration of the Home Insulation Program. DRET can be contacted at [email address]

I note that there is a large amount of information publicly available regarding the Home Insulation Program which may answer your questions, some links are provided below:
http://ee.ret.gov.au/energy-efficiency/h...
http://www.anao.gov.au/Publications/Audi...
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/minister...

Based on the above information can you please advise if you are happy to withdraw your FOI request with Finance?

Thanks, Sue.

FOI Officer
Legal and Strategic Support Branch
Department of Finance and Deregulation
E: [Finance request email]

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FOI Requests, Department of Finance

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

Good morning Graeme

 

Thank you for your email of 9 August 2013 to the Department of Finance and
Deregulation (Finance) seeking access to the following documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

1. what was the FINAL COST of the whole Insulation scheme ?, Taking into
consideration, the training, Department costs, Electrical checking,
Removal costs, Insurance costs, compensation costs. And 2. secondly , HOW
MANY HOUSES were satisfactorily insulated?. This number would not include
the houses destroyed or where the insulation was removed

 

I have been in touch with Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
(DRET) and have ascertained that they are better placed to process your
request.

 

Accordingly, I am writing to notify you that on 22 August 2013 your
request was transferred to DRET pursuant to section 16(1)(b) of the FOI
Act.

 

Section 16(1)(b) provides that:

 

(1)    Where a request is made to an agency for access to a document and:

 

(b) the subject-matter of the document is more closely connected with the
functions of another agency than with those of the agency to which the
request is made;

 

I understand that an officer from DRET will contact you regarding your
request.

 

Regards, Sue.

 

[1]Signature blocks-blue bar.jpg

FOI Officer

Legal and Strategic Support Branch

Department of Finance and Deregulation

T: 02 6215 1783 | E: [Finance request email]  

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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Graeme F Furlong

Dear FOI Requests,

Thank you for the information received so far. appreciate the help given.

Yours sincerely,

Graeme F Furlong

FOI Requests, Department of Finance

1 Attachment

Thank you for your email to the Freedom of Information section of the
Department of Finance and Deregulation. We have received your email and
will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible.

 

You may view further information relating to Freedom of Information on the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s [1]website.

 

[2]Signature blocks-blue bar.jpg

Freedom of Information

Legal and Strategic Support Branch

Department of Finance and Deregulation

 

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.oaic.gov.au/foi-portal/about_...

Dear Mr Furlong,

 

I refer to your freedom of information request of 8 August 2013 to the
Department of Finance and Deregulation (DOFD) for:

 

·         The final cost of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) taking into
account training and Departmental costs, electrical and removal costs, and
insurance and compensation costs; and

·         The total number of houses that were satisfactorily insulated
(this number would not include the houses destroyed or houses from which
the insulations were removed).

 

Your request was transferred to the Department of Resources, Energy and
Tourism (RET) under section 16 (1) (b) of the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).

 

Further, the information you requested is publicly available, and is
accessible at any one of the following links below:

 

Cost of the overall program : Senate Estimates – October 2012 -
[1]http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/down...
A search for the word ‘insulation’ should retrieve some information.

 

Individual yearly costs can be found in the individual Portfolio Budget
Statements:

 

DRET Portfolio Budget statements 2013/14   -
 [2]http://www.budget.gov.au/2013-14/content...

DCCEE Portfolio Budget statements 2012/13 -
[3]http://www.climatechange.gov.au/about-us...

DCCEE Portfolio Budget statements 2011/12 -
[4]http://www.climatechange.gov.au/sites/cl...

DCCEE Portfolio Budget statements 2010/11 -
[5]http://www.climatechange.gov.au/sites/cl...

 

And/or in the Annual Reports:

 

DCCEE – 2011/12 annual report -
 [6]http://www.climatechange.gov.au/about-us...

DCCEE – 2010/11 annual report -
 [7]http://www.climatechange.gov.au/sites/cl...

DEWHA – 2009/10 annual report -
[8]http://www.environment.gov.au/about/publ...

 

Information on the number of homes installed or inspected can be found at
the following website -
[9]http://ee.ret.gov.au/energy-efficiency/h...

 

I assume that the above links to information answers the questions you
have asked. Unless I hear from you in the next 5 working days, I will
assume that you are happy to withdraw your FOI application.  You may wish
to submit a new FOI request if the above information does not answer your
questions.

 

Regards,

 

RET-FOI

 

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References

Visible links
1. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/down...
2. http://www.budget.gov.au/2013-14/content...
3. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/about-us...
4. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/sites/cl...
5. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/sites/cl...
6. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/about-us...
7. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/sites/cl...
8. http://www.environment.gov.au/about/publ...
9. http://ee.ret.gov.au/energy-efficiency/h...