In a lesson for well-intentioned but badly managed government handout programmes, Australian taxpayers will fork out almost half a billion dollars to fix up the botched roof insulation scheme.The federal budget reveals for the first time just how expensiv
In a lesson for well-intentioned but badly managed government handout programmes, Australian taxpayers will fork out almost half a billion dollars to fix up the botched roof insulation scheme.
The federal budget reveals for the first time just how expensive the scheme's mistakes have proven.
The insulation scheme was linked with the deaths of four installers, 120 house fires, and quality and safety problems potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of homes.
Of the $A439 million provision, $A339 million will be spent inspecting and fixing 150,000 homes that were in the scheme, which has now been axed.
Another $A84 million will be spent checking out 50,000 roofs fitted with foil insulation, and $A15 million goes to help insulation installers cope with the scheme's sudden end.
Last year, the government decided to spent $A2.45 billion insulating millions of homes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to stimulate the economy in tough times.
More than 1.1 million homes were insulated at a cost of about $A1.5 billion when the scheme was canned in February due to safety problems, as dodgy operators flooded the market.
Meanwhile, Australia's top athletes are being lavished with even more taxpayer largesse, taking the total spending to $A1.2 billion over the period leading up to the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympics.
For 2010, the Budget provides more than $A300 million in the biggest cash injection to sport in Australia's history.
Sport will receive another $A324.8 million over four years, which includes funding to extend the life of existing programmes, and $A195.2 million in new money.
