Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-12 Daily Xml

Contents

HOUSING SA

In reply to the Hon. J.A. DARLEY (11 September 2013).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation): The Minister for Social Housing has received this advice:

1. Housing SA does not have a program of retrofitting electrical safety switches, known as residual current devices (RCDs) into existing Housing SA properties.

Housing SA complies with current standards and the regulations as required by the Office of the Technical Regulator. For new construction, RCDs are required to be installed as part of the regulations and Housing SA has been installing them in Housing SA properties for approximately 20 years.

The regulations do not require the retrofitting of RCDs into existing properties that were built prior to the current standards and which complied with the applicable legislation at the time of the initial construction.

However, when Housing SA undertakes electrical upgrades or replaces the electrical switchboards, and for fabric replacement, kitchen, wet area or other similar upgrade works, RCDs are generally installed as part of the overall upgrade in order to comply with the current regulations of the technical regulator.

2. It is estimated there are RCDs installed in approximately 12,000 Housing SA properties, equivalent to approximately 30 per cent of total stock.