Bev McArthur MP, Member for Western Victoria Region, Assistant Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Scrutiny (Vic), Media Release, 4 July 2022

Unwanted fridges have been dumped at local businesses under the Victorian Government’s abysmal net-zero-inspired appliance replacement scheme.

Businesses in Queenscliff have been pestered by scammers begging them to take free fridges and some have had unwanted display fridges dropped at their doors.

The dumping has been done under a shonky carbon credit scheme designed by the Andrews Government, offering to replace older equipment with more energy efficient goods.

The Victorian Energy Upgrade Scheme has also applied to light bulbs, televisions, showerheads and air conditioners.

Member for Western Victoria, and Assistant Shadow Minister for Government Scrutiny, Bev McArthur, said the fridge scheme is a total debacle.

“This is scam central,” Mrs McArthur said.

“And worse – it has cost Victorian taxpayers half a billion dollars.

“Can you imagine arriving at your business one morning to see multiple fridges in boxes plonked at your front door?

“These are fridges you haven’t ordered, don’t want and now have to get rid of. In the meantime, the company dumping them has registered the fridges and received $3,000 for each of them from the Premier, Dan Andrews.

“This scheme has been a honeypot for scammers – and only following damaging publicity has the fridge aspect of it been halted.

“It’s the kind of mess you get with most virtue-signalling schemes in which the Government uses taxpayer’s money to artificially intervene in a market with the sole purpose of winning votes in the Green battle and to sound like they’re solving a problem.

“Instead, they’ve created a massive one,” Mrs McArthur said.

In Queenscliff, restaurant owner, and Liberal Candidate for Bellarine, Donnie Grigau, has received multiple phone calls a day and actual visits from the scammers.

“I kept getting these phone calls from people pushing these fridges on me. I didn’t want them, and don’t need them, but the calls kept coming and then the salesmen arrived at my restaurant door,” Mr Grigau said.

“These fridges are just another form of unhelpful government intervention in the market place to buy votes with hard earned taxpayer dollars,” Mr Grigau said.

Across the road at the Vue Grand Hotel, Kate Matherson, couldn’t stop the fridges arriving.

“Box after box arrived at my hotel door. What to do with them? I‘ve now had to go to the bother of having them collected,” Ms Matherson said.

The fridges are not suitable for food-grade use – and were only appropriate for drinks. To complete the farce the fridges had to be on public display.

Mrs McArthur said the scheme has distorted the normal dynamics of the market.

“This kind of fraud is the price we pay for Governments wanting to appear virtuous.

“If people want new fridges, let them buy them. No scams. No schemes. If the benefits are genuinely there, people will actively pursue them.

“These should be purchased from sellers who are legitimately in the market – those who have lost sales to unscrupulous dealers who are giving away what could be junk, unserviceable fridges, during this rort.

“These will ultimately end up in landfill – dumped – just like this policy should be.”