Garrett goes bush as batts keep burning

INDUSTRY experts have warned there could be more fires and deaths in the roof insulation debacle engulfing the federal government.

NERO fiddled while Rome burned, and yesterday there was the unmistakable sound of violins as industry experts converged on Canberra to warn there could be more fires and deaths in the roof insulation debacle engulfing the federal government.

Absent was the minister Peter Garrett, who insulated himself from controversy by high-tailing it to the mid-north coast 800km away to launch a nature survey. His bureaucrats told the industry experts in Canberra that discussion of the fires was not on the meeting's "agenda". The meeting of industry representatives and officials had been called to find a way through the safety crisis in the $2.45 billion program, which has been linked to four deaths and scores of fires. But where was the Environment Minister? He was far away, inspecting golden crown snakes near Coffs Harbour in NSW.

Tony Abbott said Mr Garrett's decision to head off to a national park yesterday showed he was "inhabiting a different moral universe".

"For Mr Garrett to be off in some national park . . . I think indicates he has completely lost touch with the values of ordinary Australians," the Opposition Leader said.

But the message from Canberra about the dangers of work carried out under the insulation scheme dogged the minister even in the wild: snake catcher Bryan Robinson revealed with a straight face that the golden-crowned snake was "perfectly able to climb, but it's very unusual you'd find them in a roof space".

The Canberra meeting, which was told foil insulation should not be reintroduced, took place as a Queensland home owner launched the first legal action against the government over injuries linked to the insulation program. Colin Brierley, 63, of Windaroo in the Gold Coast hinterland, said he would sue the government over a electrical shock he received a week after he had foil insulation installed that left him in an induced coma.

Many of the house fires are believed to have been caused by insulation laid over downlights or other electrical equipment. Downlight protection company Arrowform has revealed it had repeatedly warned Mr Garrett of the fire risks caused by uncovered downlights on February 26, but it was only on November 1 that the minister finally ordered that covers were mandatory.

The Environment Department also finally struck off insulation company Countrywide four months after employee Matthew Fuller, 25, was electrocuted.

Electrical Trades Union national assistant secretary John Ingram yesterday attacked Mr Garrett for failing to attend the meeting.

"It was certainly unfortunate (Mr Garrett was not here today) and we're calling on the minister to meet with the electrical industry to get our views directly," he said.

It is understood an industry representative at the meeting told officials: "There have been 86 fires and nobody's died yet, but we're all expecting house fires to cause a fatality at some point."

But Mr Ingram said officials refused to discuss the fires.

"The issue was raised but the bureaucrats told us it was not on the agenda," he said.

"I said: `Why aren't we talking about the house fires and stopping them in the future?' "

While state regulators and the electrical industry urged officials not to reintroduce foil, experts warned that fibreglass batts were unsuited to Queensland's warm and moist climate.

Aluminium Foil Insulation Association vice-president Michel Bostrom said that unless vapour barriers were used, batts could become mouldy and waterlogged, causing ceilings to collapse. "This is a sleeper issue that's coming," Mr Bostrom told The Australian. "Foil offers a solution to a really serious problem in tropical and sub-tropical climates."

The Environment Minister defended his decision to launch "Bush Blitz" rather than attend a meeting of industry experts.

"I don't go to technical experts' meetings in the ordinary course of events," Mr Garrett told reporters. "This is not a decision-making meeting . . . and my expectation is that my department and experts will provide me with the kind of advice I need to make additional further decisions if necessary."

Additional reporting: Jared Owens