Whilst the international debate continues on the complexities of combating global warming it is quite clear that there will be progressive implementation of practical measures to control adverse carbon emissions.

Thus the challenge for industry at all levels and for all modern communities, is the role we all have to play in implementing climate change measures and how to maximise the effort and control the costs. With strata and community living identified as the major supplier to manage the projected population increase throughout Australia, it is important that as an industry we look not just at the implementation programs and the challenges faced by individual members of the bodies corporate.

While we have had plenty of experience in implementing vital regional programs in recent times, such as the major reduction of water consumption to protect the scarce water supplies in times of drought and new safety measures within our buildings in such areas as swimming pools, the global warming challenge is both diverse and costly. The cost issue is extremely complex and the transition program continues to be very confused by the varying policies being enunciated mainly by the northern hemisphere nations.

We at CTIQ believe that as management specialists, we have an obligation to be across all the complex issues of climate change because eventually, they will have a significant impact on the operations of every single body corporate. The issues have already emerged where governments are offering incentives for a range of green conversions involving utilities supplies to all households but, in the case of bodies corporate, there remains a requirement to impose higher costs for all owners to implement the programs.

Just as industry has expressed its concerns about the need for certainty in the final arrangements for climate change policies together with a timeline that remains constant for a reasonable period so that full economic impacts can be ascertained and assessed.

While the energy supply industry has forecast that solar energy conversion programs will bring significant reductions in long term power cuts after three years of operation, including the full return on investment through cheaper accounts, other conversions and requirements to maximise carbon reduction opportunities have not been able to be fully assessed. The retrofitting of new technology as part of the climate change programs will affect each building and scheme differently, and older buildings and schemes may well be faced with costs that are beyond the ability of owners to fund outside their existing body corporate costs.

CTIQ and other state members of the National Community Titles Institute are continuing to develop a program of assessment to ensure that when the climate change legislation is finally brought down, along with its implementation timetable, that there is a clear program for the change implementation. CTIQ has a technical sub committee examining all aspects of climate change policies as the market place is currently very active in offering conversions and long term cost benefit incentives.

All levels of government have embraced the realisation that climate change legislation is to be a reality for the whole of Australia and the rest of the advanced nations during the next decade. Governments are also offering funding incentives to encourage early conversion to these new green products including expert assessment of household opportunities to monitor and better manage consumption levels. As with all conservation programs, new opportunities continue to be produced to afford even better results through new technology and more conscious and planned use of carbon cost resources.

The challenges for bodies corporate is that forward planning over the life of the building is an important aspect in making judgements for the future green building programs. The programs are far more than maximising recycling of waste where possible and changing light bulbs.

The whole approach to building maintenance and upgrades need to be assessed in preparation for the program’s overall introduction.

Already significant increases in the cost of power and water are providing us all with new benchmarks in property ownership.

It is vital that the strata and community living industry is at the forefront of change implementation, not just to achieve the benchmarks being sought by governments on a national scale but to ensure that the implementation is structured effectively to contain the costs of living in the future.

Viane Watson
CTIQ