Sustainable Built Environments
LG – update of green building & regs & tools
Series of updates for Local Government on green building issues
The aim is to have a central point of information for Local Government to be able to discuss green building issues and to get clear up-to-date inforamtion on initiatives within Victoria.
LG Update 1 - 9th of March 2005 - now fully booked
Local Government Briefing
The following is a brief description and background of the presentations. Further information about the organisations and the tools can be found online by following the links provided.
Building Commission
“5 Star” and beyond – FirstRate
Speaker: Rob Enker
On July 1, 2004, the Building Commission’s 5 Star program for BCA class 1 and 2 buildings came into force. The requirements of 5 star stated that all new residential homes and apartments had to meet a minimum of 5 star energy rating for the building envelope or install approved variables such as rainwater tanks or a solar hot water system. In 2005 and beyond, the future of 5 star “Beyond 5 star” will see measures such as disclosure of energy ratings at sale for residential dwellings and the implementation of energy efficiency measures into BCA class 3-9 buildings.
| 2005 | BCA energy measures for Class 2, 3 & 4 buildings to take effect nationally. |
| 2006 | 5 Star residential program and BCA energy measures for Class 5-9 buildings implemented nationally |
| ---- | National - Under discussion mandatory disclosure of house energy rating on sale (as in ACT) |
For further information:
Building Commission www.buildingcommisssion.com.au
Plumbing Industry Commission www.pic.vic.gov.au
Sustainable Energy Authority www.seav.vic.gov.au
· FirstRate training institutions http://www.seav.vic.gov.au/buildings/firstrate/training.html
· FirstRate software http://www.seav.vic.gov.au/buildings/firstrate/index.html
Moreland City Council
STEPS
Speaker: Cate Collins
STEPS - Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy is a rating system initiated by Moreland City Council and developed by IUM and ARK Resources to clarify sustainable planning and its various issues. STEPS integrates programs and tools from various local bodies and organisations such as the DSE and Melbourne Water. This has helped address sustainability concerns such as energy – demand and peak load, water, stormwater, material choice and to a lesser extent, waste & transport.
STEPS will be trialled by the Moreland City Council and the City of Port Phillip, starting in April this year.
Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE)
Sustainability in the Built Environment – IDEAS
Speaker: Simon Cover
Sustainability as a decision making consideration is integrated as part of the Planning and Environment Act and thepolicy framework of the Victoria Planning provisions. Local government attempts to integrate sustainability into their planning have varied greatly between localities, creating confusion for developers. Through the “Sustainability in the Built Environment Project”, the DSE seeks to provide an umbrella framework for local government to address sustainable planning issues, creating consistency and clarity for industry.
Through a series of workshops with key stakeholders, two key directions were identified to assist in developing a sustainability framework for the planning system:
· Performance-based objectives consistent with state-wide policy; and
· An integrated sustainability assessment tool.
DSE in partnership with key development industry groups and other stakeholders has developed a draft, user-friendly computer-based sustainability assessment tool called IDEAS that includes targets for energy and water.
For further Information:
Department of Sustainability and Environment
ECO-Buy
Local Government Environmental Purchasing Program – ECO-Buy
Speaker: Tania Struzina
ECO-Buy, established in May 2004, looks at using local government purchasing power to encourage the demand for greenhouse friendly, environmentally preferred and recycled products. By creating partnerships between local governments they hope to:
· Increase awareness in local government about the range and quality of greenhouse friendly and recycled products
· Reduce local government’s greenhouse gas emissions
· Stimulate local government’s participation in greenhouse abatement activities
· Support sustainable long-term markets for recyclable materials collected from kerbside
· Encourage the sustainable use of resources
The program has looked at the integration of sustainable purchasing of goods and services into all facets of local government including purchasing for stationery, IT equipment, parks and land management, traffic management and building supplies for construction. Data from 2001 has shown a marked increase in the purchase of environmentally friendly products and this trend is expected to continue with local government support, building regulations which demand energy efficiency and as more cost-effective products are produced.
For further information:
ECO-Buy http://www.mav.asn.au/ecobuy