More carbon trade concerns
A major NFP body has called on the Government to improve aged care funding ahead of the introduction of its emissions trading scheme in 2010.
The national peak body representing over 500 Catholic-affiliated aged care homes has called on the Government to overhaul funding contracts to help meet the increased cost burden of carbon trading.
In a submission to the Department of Climate Change, Catholic Health Australia (CHA) gave support to the Government’s proposed 2010 emissions trading scheme, on the condition that extra money is provided for not-for-profit organisations.
The CHA submission comes just weeks after the Australia Institute issued a report which predicted that the government would need to provide $1 billion in compensation to the welfare sector to offset the costs of carbon trading.
The CEO of CHA, Martin Laverty said the burden of emissions trading would add to existing pressures for private hospital and aged care operators.
“Government funding in recent years has not kept pace with the increasing Consumer Price Index,” said Mr Laverty.
“Rising petrol and staff wage costs have put real pressures on not-for-profit organisations.”
The Government’s Green Paper on climate change gives proposes compensation for low-income earners and big business but does not mention not-for-profits.
On top of his calls for improved general funding, Mr Laverty called on the government to provide specific assistance to not-for-profit health and aged care services to assist with the implementation of sustainability initiatives.
“We would like to see a capital improvement scheme that would allow not-for-profit hospitals and aged care facilities able to undertake environmentally sustainable upgrades,” said Mr Laverty.
“In Hobart I have seen an aged care facility that uses geothermal energy to power itself and in WA there is a facility that uses co-generation. A capital improvement scheme would support these types of initiatives across the sector.
“The not-for-profit sector cannot afford to undertake these measures to achieve sustainability on its own. We are 100 per cent behind the need to act on climate trade and we support the government’s cap and trade scheme without argument. But we can’t do it unless the government puts aside the funds to support us,” said Mr Laverty.
