The Hon Josh Wilson MP, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
The Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson MLA, WA Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation
More than 4,000 additional social housing properties across regional and remote Western Australia will receive energy efficiency upgrades through a new $53.9 million Albanese Government investment, helping tenants cut energy bills and stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
The new funding will deliver upgraded ceiling insulation to social housing properties across the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne, Mid-West and Goldfields over the next five years.
Many of these homes were built decades before modern energy-efficiency standards were introduced, making them more difficult and expensive to heat and cool. The upgrades will improve household comfort while reducing energy consumption and lowering electricity bills for tenants.
The Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI) in WA has a strong focus on regional and remote communities, including areas with significant Aboriginal populations, supporting both Closing the Gap commitments and Australia's emissions reduction efforts.
Ceiling insulation can reduce a home's heating and cooling energy use and costs by up to 45 per cent.
The new funding builds on the existing partnership between the Albanese and Cook Governments, which has already invested $63.2 million to upgrade social housing properties across regional and remote Western Australia.
With more than 2,200 homes already upgraded, the original program remains on track for completion by June 2027.
This additional investment will almost double the number of WA households benefiting from the initiative, bringing the total number of homes funded for upgrades to around 8,000.
Nationally, SHEPI is investing $1.1 billion, including $800 million from the Albanese Government, to improve the energy performance of more than 100,000 social housing properties across Australia.
Comments attributed to Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson:
"The Albanese Government is delivering real cost-of-living relief for thousands of regional Western Australian households. This additional investment will help more families save on their power bills, improve comfort in their homes, and ensure social housing is fit for the future.
"As temperatures rise and extreme heat events become more frequent, improving the energy performance of social housing is more important than ever. These upgrades will help households across regional and remote WA stay cooler, reduce energy costs and improve quality of life in some of Australia's harshest climates."
Comments attributed to Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Regional Western Australia experiences some of the most extreme temperatures in the country and it's crucial that properties are built to withstand this.
"This announcement will benefit another 4,000 homes, making them more comfortable and energy efficient while bringing down power bills.
"This is real cost-of-living relief for families, and an investment in the future of WA's housing stock."
