<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/15/alice-lives-off-grid-but-not-by-choice-hecs-for-households-could-radically-improve-her-dilapidated-home>
"On the side of Alice Underwood’s house is a list of things she wants written
in chalk. “Shower. Electricity” are at the top, in bright red. “Flowers.
Berries” follow.
Alice is 32 years old. For most of her life she has lived without running
water, electricity or even a fridge – but not by choice.
An hour outside Melbourne, Alice lives on a block. There are two small
dwellings, one for her and a friend, and another where her mother lives
part-time.
Rats have eaten through the insulation in both houses. The walls contain
asbestos and are cracked at the edges. There is a tank but the water is
unfiltered and there is not enough pressure to run a shower. The toilet often
gets clogged, so they mainly go to the bathroom up the bush.
It is camping with walls, living totally off-grid, but not by choice. Modern
Australia, without the modern amenities.
“I am not confident in how to use a normal household washing machine,” Alice
says. “I could probably work it out but I’ve got no reason to know these things
… I simply don’t know how to change a lightbulb.”
This week Renew Australia for All, an alliance of 50 energy, welfare, faith
groups and unions, called on the government to overhaul the nation’s energy
system, to repower homes with solar batteries and make thermal improvements.
As part of this, welfare advocates want the government to set up loans for
homeowners on low incomes who are living in dilapidated dwellings."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
