Waitaki District Council Keeps Tenants Warm and Well Cared

Oamaru is taking a holistic approach to promoting the health and well being of elderly residents living in Council-owned properties.

The Waitaki District Council (WDC) is insulating and installing heat pumps in its properties tenanted largely by senior citizens. The work is underway and the 65 Council-owned units will have been re-fitted by Wednesday 24 July 2009.

In addition, Council has contracted the Oamaru branch of Age Concern to have two welfare officers visit community housing residents four times a year to assess their well being and report back to Council.

The heating and insulation project is being subsidised by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), which is paying approximately 60 per cent of the costs, while private companies are providing services and equipment at a reduced price.

“The cost to council is within the operating budget for community housing refits for the year, so none of this is charged back to the rate payers,” said WDC’s Property and Parks Manager, Dougall McIntyre. “The other agencies and companies are carrying the bulk of the costs: primarily EECA, Air Con S.C. and Air Con NZ Ltd, which supply the heat pumps and Tasman Insulation NZ, who supply the pink bats.”

Mr McIntyre said Council was approached by Orlando Zucchetto of Air Con South Canterbury at the end of last year with the suggestion that they take advantage of “special project” funding being offered by EECA before the release of the government budget.

Council officers went into action immediately, liaising with EECA and Air Con New Zealand.

“EECA was impressed with the fact that we were already liaising with Age Concern to monitor the well-being of our tenants,” explained Mr McIntyre. “Other factors in our favour were that Oamaru was considered a relatively cold area and what we were proposing was a reasonably sized project. We decided to work together insulating and putting heat pumps in all 65 units.”

Mrs Elvie Brown found a big difference even after only one day. “I had the heat pump running all night and it was nice and warm when I got up in the middle of the night – which I have to do often. These units used to be very cold and it’s much warmer now. It’s lovely.”

Mrs Dot Wilkinson, a double amputee, is delighted with her new heating system.” It’s lovely and cosy, even in my bedroom and the passage,” she said. “I used to have a little fan heater but there wasn’t enough warmth in it. It’s really lovely now.”

Mr McIntyre said he was delighted the Council had the opportunity to be part of the initiative from central government - both the last and the current.

“This is a bi-partisan approach in preventative health care. Keeping our tenants warm limits respiratory problems and improves health. It’s also safer because bar heaters can be hazardous when people are drying clothes in front of them and they risk tripping on cords. In addition, heat pumps are more cost effective so our tenants are better off all round.”