Foil insulation banned amid electrocution fears
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Updated
Dangerous work: Foil-covered insulation has been banned from the rebate scheme (7.30 Report)
Environment Minister Peter Garrett has suspended the use of foil insulation under the Government's home insulation program after it was linked to a number of deaths.
The peak group representing Australian electricians says four people have been killed since the Government began offering a $1,200 rebate to people who want to insulate their homes.
In the most recent incident, a 25-year-old contractor was electrocuted in the roof of a home at Millaa Millaa in far north Queensland last week.
There are reports that improperly installed foil insulation can conduct electricity from mains cables, effectively making the whole roof cavity of a house 'live'.
Mr Garrett says safety is the Government's "absolute priority" and from today, people will no longer receive a rebate for installing foil insulation.
"Unfortunately, despite strong measures taken to date including banning the use of metal fasteners for foil insulation in November last year, we are still seeing evidence of foil installations which do not meet clear program requirements," Mr Garrett said in a statement.
"I have instructed my Department to continue urgent consultations with technical experts and electrical safety authorities, as well as the foil insulation industry.
"Based on the outcome of these discussions I will consider what additional steps will be required if foil insulation is to remain eligible for a rebate under the Home Insulation Program."
Mr Garrett said the Government would not tolerate anyone who breached the program's guidelines and some installers had already been struck off the Government's register.
The Government says any households with immediate electrical safety concerns about insulation in their home should contact a licensed electrician.
The move has been welcomed by the Queensland Council of Unions, which says it will save lives.
The QCU says two installers have died in Queensland in the last four months and spokeswoman Amanda Richards says the foil insulation is dangerous for installers and home owners.
"The foil is laid over the joists, it comes in contact with metal, it comes in contact with existing wiring, and because it is metal it becomes live and it puts the workers at risk of electric shock," she said.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt welcomed the ban but said more needs to be done to guarantee safety.
"We know that 16 roofs have been discovered as electrified," he said.
"The industry thinks there are potentially an extra 60 deadly electrified roofs which haven't been discovered, haven't been audited, and which are out there at risk to home owners, installers, and anybody who is working in the roof space in a house."
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76 needed to form government
State of the Parties
76 seats required for victory
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91.5% counted.
Updated Sat Sep 4 09:52AM
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| Party | % Vote | Swing | Won | Predict | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 38.0 | -5.4 | 72 | |||
| Coalition | 43.7 | +1.6 | 73 | |||
| Greens | 11.7 | +3.9 | 1 | |||
| Others | 6.6 | -0.1 | 4 | |||
Changing Seats
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91.5% counted.
Last updated Sat Sep 4 09:52AM
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| Time | Count % | Electorate | Held By | Margin | 2PP % | Swing | Predict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:37 | 93.5 | La Trobe | L/NP | 0.5 | 50.9 | 1.4% to ALP | ALP GAIN |
| 18:22 | 91.0 | McEwen | L/NP | 0.0 | 55.2 | 5.2% to ALP | ALP GAIN |
| 10:36 | 89.0 | Solomon | ALP | 0.2 | 51.9 | 2.0% to CLP | CLP GAIN |
| 18:52 | 83.1 | Melbourne | ALP | 4.7 | 55.6 | 10.3% to GRN | GRN GAIN |
| 17:37 | 94.3 | Denison | ALP | 15.3 | 51.2 | 16.5% from ALP | IND GAIN |
| 15:21 | 91.2 | Bennelong | ALP | 1.4 | 53.5 | 4.9% to LIB | LIB GAIN |
| 13:07 | 92.8 | Gilmore * | ALP | 0.4 | 55.3 | 5.7% to LIB | LIB WIN |
| 18:07 | 92.9 | Hasluck | ALP | 0.8 | 50.6 | 1.4% to LIB | LIB GAIN |
| 16:21 | 92.0 | Macarthur * | ALP | 0.5 | 53.0 | 3.5% to LIB | LIB WIN |
| 11:23 | 92.5 | Macquarie | ALP | 0.3 | 51.2 | 1.5% to LIB | LIB GAIN |
| 18:54 | 90.3 | Swan * | ALP | 0.3 | 52.6 | 2.8% to LIB | LIB WIN |
| 16:53 | 91.5 | Bonner | ALP | 4.5 | 52.6 | 7.1% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
| 17:21 | 89.8 | Brisbane | ALP | 4.6 | 51.0 | 5.6% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
| 11:36 | 92.7 | Dawson | ALP | 2.6 | 52.4 | 5.0% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
| 12:51 | 93.7 | Dickson * | ALP | 0.8 | 55.2 | 5.9% to LNP | LNP WIN |
| 14:36 | 91.1 | Flynn | ALP | 2.2 | 53.5 | 5.7% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
| 15:21 | 91.3 | Forde | ALP | 3.4 | 51.6 | 5.0% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
| 16:06 | 92.4 | Herbert * | ALP | 0.0 | 52.1 | 2.1% to LNP | LNP WIN |
| 16:37 | 90.4 | Leichhardt | ALP | 4.1 | 54.6 | 8.7% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
| 14:21 | 92.2 | Longman | ALP | 1.9 | 52.0 | 3.9% to LNP | LNP GAIN |
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