Insulation makes

By Jade Lawton
The couple had insulation put in their roof earlier this year. After hearing media reports of fires, they contacted the Federal Government and an inspector labelled their home a fire risk.
In March, a man was sent to fix the insulation mess – but the Qureitems were shocked when they recognised him as someone from the company that incorrectly installed the pink batts in the first place.
“It was the same man, but he came under a different company,” she said.
“When they found out the government needed (repairs), they just opened up a new company.”
Concerned, Mrs Qureitem again contacted the government asking for another independent assessment.
This time, after the supposed repair, the inspector found that the old insulation had not been removed.
“There must be so many people that don’t know – how many people have been sent to houses to look at it a second time?” Ms Qureitem said.
The couple is still waiting for the government to send another tradesman to fix the bungled insulation.
A Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency spokesman admitted that in the past, original installers had been used to ‘address concerns’ – a practice that had now been stopped.
“Previously, under the now discontinued Home Insulation Program, householders did seek out their original installer to address concerns identified by the householder or a government safety inspection.
“Under the Home Insulation Safety Program, the original installer is not sent to the home by the government,” he said.
“If an urgent safety issue is identified through a government safety inspection, the government commissions qualified tradespeople to rectify these safety issues.
“Any household that has safety concerns with insulation installed under the former Home Insulation Program can request an inspection. More than 44,000 safety inspections have been arranged to date, including around 25,000 for homes with non-foil insulation.”
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said the Qureitems’ plight was ‘a prime example of the Rudd Government’s incompetence.’
“This has been a rip-off and rort from start to finish,” he said.
“I really feel sorry for people out there trying to deal with the government and I strongly encourage them to come to our office and we will fight on their behalf.”
The government spokesman said that households, including those that have had privately arranged safety work, could request a government inspection through the Safety Hotline on 131 792.