(1) The Minister for Climate Change and the Environment may,
with the concurrence of the Minister administering this Act, from time to time
prepare, adopt or vary guidelines relating to environmental upgrade agreements
and the functions of councils under this Part.
(2) In particular, the
guidelines may specify provisions that may be included in an environmental
upgrade agreement with respect to--
(a) the making of contributions by lessees
towards environmental upgrade charges payable under an agreement (including by
providing for the methodology by which the cost savings to be made by a lessee
as a consequence of environmental upgrade works are to be estimated), and
(b)
progress or implementation reports to be made by a building owner under an
environmental upgrade agreement.
(3) The methodology may permit both savings
made directly by the lessee and a proportion of savings made by all occupants
of the relevant building to be counted towards the cost savings made by the
lessee.
(4) A council must take the guidelines into consideration before
exercising any of its functions under this Part.
(5) The regulations may
adopt the guidelines, or any part of the guidelines, as mandatory
requirements.
(6) A council must comply with any mandatory requirements of
the guidelines in exercising its functions under this Part.
(7) Guidelines
made under this section are to be published in the Gazette.
