Safe & Sound Insulation - Sydney Insulation Services

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THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT INSULATION REBATE

The Australian Government has announced the Homeowner Insulation Program which offers ceiling insulation worth up to $1,200 to owner-occupiers.

If the total cost of installation is less than $1,200 there will be no more for the homeowner to pay.

The full program starts on 1 July 2009 and will run until 31 December 2011, but homeowners don’t have to wait. The Australian Government has released early installation guidelines so people can access this assistance now.

Why wait - Contact us now for a free quote

DRIVEN BATTY BY SCHEME

A REPUTABLE Ryde insulation installer was forced to sack eight staff in the wake of the Federal Government’s home insulation debacle and claims the effect has been “devastating” to his business.

Safe and Sound Insulation manager Chris Huxtable said he had to pay for a warehouse leased specifically to store the batts, which was full. And he was out of pocket for work carried out on six houses where shonky dealers had already fraudulently claimed the $1200 rebate on the internet. “Its dramatic, we are full of stock that we can’t use, we have had to downsize and we are searching for other jobs to hold on to staff,” he said. “It’s devastating to our business but most importantly its devastating to our employees.” Mr Huxtable said he had tried to contact the government several times for advice but could not get through. Kevin Rudd announced a $41 million taxpayer-funded rescue package for the botched scheme last Wednesday but only $10 million is aimed at helping businesses keep their staff. The remainder will fund job services and training. “My people are asking me’ ‘What’s happening? What are we going to put together?’ They are not very happy. I’m trying to keep them going by trying to find work for them to pay their mortgages and their rents.” Mr Huxtable has been with the business since it started 10 years ago and said there were “no rules” under the Rudd-backed scheme. “As long as you have an ABN you can join the scheme,” he said. Now Safe and Sound is paying for the lack of checks and balances in the system as it waits for payment for work it completed but which was already claimed fraudulently by people entering the address and the name of the homeowner into the now-defunct internet claims system. “All they had to do is know the address and put in the mortgagee’s details and put it on the computer and they get the money transferred, and we are the ones out of pocket for the six houses.” Mr Huxtable said. He said the main dangers involved were “untrained door-knock installers” who would not box downlights, ignored faulty wiring and used imported batts containing formaldehyde. “We have an electrician on board as well and if we find faulty wiring we stop the job immediately,” he said. “We were the first company to stick to our guns, we wouldn’t do a job unless the downlights were boxed. “Alls I want to do is to keep all my installers who have been with me for years because we don’t want to lose good workers. “(The scheme) wasn’t managed properly. People dropped the ball on this one.”

What Do We Do

Thermal Insulation

• Polyester
• Wood
• Reflective Foils

Acoustic Insulation

• Celings
• Walls
• Floors
• Pipe Lagging

Other Services

• Contaminated Dust
• Lead Paint
• Walls and Floors