Victoria Bans Dark Roofs for New Homes

But does the ban go far enough? The State Government needs to dream bigger!

The Victorian government is set to mandate light coloured roofs for new homes.

The government argues that light coloured roofing will reducing energy consumption as well as cooling the local climate on hot days.

Now the Labor government could just as easily allow energy companies to access the state’s huge gas reserves. But they’d rather leave the gas in the ground and legislate what colour steel you can stick on your roof.

The problem, of course, is that while light coloured roofing is good for summer, it’s not so great for winter when you want to trap the heat.

According to Sustainability Victoria, heating accounts for 43 per cent of the running costs of an average Victorian home, while cooling accounts for just 4 per cent.

So the small amount of energy saved by light coloured roofs during summer will be completely lost when people turn up their radiators during winter.

Can I make a suggestion?

Why don’t the Victorian Government outlaw dark roofs during summer and ban light roofs during winter? That way, they can maximise energy savings all year round.

Of course, home owners would have to re-roof their properties every six months, but what’s one more onerous, costly and completely unrealistic regulation in the socialist state of Victoria?