Liam McNally
Sweltering Cities has launched a new campaign to advocate for heatwave resistant rental homes, which the group said is especially important in high urban heat island suburbs such as Melton and Brimbank.
Sweltering Cities executive director Emma Bacon said the state government had recently overhauled minimum standards for renters which included blinds for privacy and heaters for winter but nothing about making sure that homes are cool in the summer.
“We know that each summer we’re seeing these unprecedented temperatures and that the coming summers are going to be the hottest of our lives,” she said.
Rising temperatures are felt most in areas such as Melton and Brimbank, which are considered “urban heat islands”, areas that get hotter than the rest of the city due to factors such as low vegetation cover, lots of concrete and dark surfaces.
A 2018 government report said the urban heat island effect can see temperatures in Melton and Brimbank reach more than 10 degrees higher than the baseline temperature.
Ms Bacon said the environmental aspects are exacerbated by housing that is not equipped to deal with heatwaves, and that according to the National House Energy Rating System (NatHers) the average star rating for homes across Victoria is 1.8 out of ten.
“So we know that the quality of housing is not good enough when it comes to protecting people from the elements and people living in these hot urban heat island suburbs like Melton and Brimbank are going to be even more affected.”
According to Sweltering Cities, raising the average rating to 5.4 would reduce heat related deaths by 90 per cent.
Sweltering Cities had its first meeting for the campaign on March 16, and is in the process of organising another after Easter.
Ms Bacon said the best way to get involved and stay informed about campaign updates is through signing the group’s petition online.
“All Victorians, no matter if they rent or own, should be safe in their homes during a heatwave. At the moment there is limited protection to make sure that happens so we think there should be a change in laws for renters to make sure that they are safe in their homes during heatwaves,” she said.
The state government was contacted for comment.
Details: actionnetwork.org/petitions/we-need-safe-homes-put-cooling-in-victorias-rental-minimum-standards
