The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), has assessed the NSW Government’s green building performance against five key criteria.

 

The GBCA released five green building priorities in 2010, and according to chief executive, Romilly Madew, “these five priorities will support the property and construction industry’s transition to sustainability. The question is – how close is NSW to achieving those priorities, and how does it compare to other states and territories?”



Priority 1: Provide visionary government leadership
 
“The GBCA recognises that leadership takes many forms, but one of the most influential ways to demonstrate their dedication to green building is for state government departments to commit to achieving Green Star ratings for every building they own, occupy or develop. This demonstrates both financial responsibility and long-term thinking.

“Currently, the Victorian and Queensland governments have both mandated minimum Green Star standards for their office accommodation, but NSW is yet to make that same commitment.


“The people of NSW deserve visionary, decisive policy which states that the NSW State Government will not own, occupy or develop anything less than 4 Star
Green Star, buildings, representing ‘best practice’, and which states that they will provide both contemporary regulation and a range of incentives,” Madew says.

“While the handling of the NSW solar feed-in tariff generated negative publicity, there remains a need to provide contemporary and well-considered incentives for initiatives, such as solar panels, greywater systems and recycling schemes, which will not only reduce our environmental impact but also reduce our household bills.”
 
Priority 2: Retrofit and improve existing buildings
“With just two per cent of Australia’s buildings considered new, greening the remaining 98 per cent of our building stock is an enormous challenge. State governments around Australia are introducing a range of policy incentives to improve existing buildings’ energy efficiency, reduce water use, widen the range of green building materials used and reduce the waste going to landfill.

“As NSW is Australia’s second largest contributor to our net greenhouse gas emissions by state, we believe the NSW Government has an obligation to introduce measures that reduce the state’s carbon footprint. Other states are introducing retrofit programs – from Victoria’s 1200 Buildings program in Melbourne to the Tune Up Canberra initiative – and we would like to see the NSW Government recognise that complementary measures in the built environment can provide cost-effective solutions to climate change. As a first step, the NSW Government should undertake a complete audit of their own existing buildings, to ascertain levels of energy and water efficiency and opportunities for incremental improvement.

“State governments are also rolling-out demonstration projects to encourage people to ‘think big’. In Adelaide, for instance, the Lochiel Park green village aims to reduce water demand by 78 per cent, greenhouse gas emissions by 74 per cent and energy use by 66 per cent. About one third of the 15 hectare Lochiel
Park site is urban forest made up of 160,000 trees and plants to help offset greenhouse gas emissions and wetlands for stormwater recycling. In comparison, the people of NSW are faced with endless suburban sprawl, skyrocketing greenhouse gas emissions and hours spent in traffic gridlock.”

 
Priority 3: Green education and healthcare facilities
Every pupil has a right to fresh air, daylight and good indoor environment quality within a building that reflects long-term sustainability goals and financial responsibility. Similarly, patients and staff across Australia have a right to productive, healthy healthcare environments – and case study evidence from around the world demonstrates the quantitative and qualitative benefits of green healthcare facilities from GP clinics to major hospitals.

“Green Star-rated schools such as Wangaratta High School in Victoria and Peregian Springs State School in Queensland are already achieving outstanding outcomes for pupils, staff, parents and visitors alike,” says Ms Madew. “Similarly, we have just certified our first Green Star healthcare facility, the Flinders Medical Centre – New South Wing in South Australia.

“Despite the growing body of evidence of the benefits of green schools and healthcare facilities, the NSW Government is yet to commit to greener schools, colleges and universities, and greener healthcare facilities. The people of NSW should demand schools and hospitals that are healthy and productive buildings as a right, not as a privilege.”


Priority 4: Move beyond buildings to communities and cities
The GBCA has commenced development of the Green Star – Communities rating tool, which will provide best practice benchmarks for delivering adaptable, liveable, prosperous and sustainable cities, communities and precincts.

The framework, released in 2010, sets out five principles:
  • Enhance liveability
  • Create opportunities for economic prosperity
  • Foster environmental responsibility
  • Embrace design excellence
  • Demonstrate visionary leadership and strong governance.
These principles are directly relevant to major new projects such as Barangaroo and Frasers Broadway in Sydney, as well as to the creation of new residential areas in Sydney’s West, the re-visioning of centres from Byron Bay to Bowral, and the refurbishment of cities such as Wollongong and Newcastle.

“We welcome the support of every government land organisation in Australia, including NSW’s Landcom and Hunter Development Corporation, as well as the support of the NSW Government’s Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. We are pleased to see the NSW Government support the development of the Green Star – Communities rating tool, and demonstrate strong green leadership in this area,” Ms Madew says.

 
Priority 5: Embed green skills across all industry training
As Australia transitions to a low carbon economy, we can expect a booming demand for ‘green collar workers’ across the property and construction industry.

But NSW industry must have the skills to ensure we fully capitalise on this green collar growth. In the same way that Occupational Health & Safety has become an integrated part of industry training, green skills must be embedded into the curriculum to ensure we develop better, safer, greener buildings.

“The Queensland Government has provided the GBCA with $250,000 in funding to support the green skills training of 650 students across the state. We would like to see the NSW Government commit to providing similar funding to ensure apprentices, TAFE students and trainees integrate sustainability into their skills base. In the long term, this will ensure that NSW can remain competitive and grow the number of green collar jobs.


“We encourage all of those standing for election to the NSW Parliament to engage with the Green Building Council of Australia, to understand its objectives and the business case for green buildings, to ensure NSW can transform into a greener, more productive, more economically sustainable place both now and in the future,” Madew concludes.