| In this issue | Issue 3 | 30th June 2009 |
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Welcome to the ASBEC Member Exchange. Produced three times a year, the eExchange enables members to share their projects and research. Thank you to all the members who contributed. Please circulate this newsletter to others within your organisation. Paul Hawken in an inspiring Commencement Address at the University of Portland wrote: “This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don't poison the water, soil, or air, don't let the earth get overcrowded, and don't touch the thermostat have been broken… Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don't be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.” Welcome to the 3rd ASBEC Membership Exchange. Much has happened since our last newsletter in February 09 including the key outcomes of the COAG meeting in late April 09 which resulted in COAG agreeing to:
One of the measures that has received considerable publicity has been the increase in energy efficiency requirements for new residential buildings to six stars, or equivalent and have this into the Building Code of Australia by 2010, to be implemented by May 2011. According to Ivan Donaldson at the Energy Efficiency BCA 2010 - Stakeholder Information Forum, the RIS that will looking at this measure will be going beyond the cost to the individual householder and look at the boarder societal issues including, how to reduce GHG emissions via energy efficiency. Therefore this RIS will be far broader than what has been undertaken before. Big changes and opportunities in the next 12 months. Don’t forget the next ASBEC Council meeting will be in Canberra Tuesday August 11 2009. Regulation
Tools, Resources and Member Projects
Submissions and Research
Government Activities
ASBEC News
Member Updates |
Welcome to WA Department of Treasury and Finance
We would like to welcome the WA Department of Treasury and Finance as our newest member. Carolyn Marshall of the Building Management and Works (BMW) division will be representing them on the Council. BMW is a newly integrated part of the Western Australian Government’s Department of Treasury and Finance. BMW is responsible for maintenance, management, design and construction of new and existing government buildings.
BMW has implemented a Sustainable Non-residential Buildings Policy, which requires all to identify, develop and promote best practice standards for its non-residential buildings. This is to be achieved by specifying appropriate standards, tools and benchmarks to facilitate the design of sustainable buildings.
BMW’s Commercial Property branch promotes the implementation of sustainable principles in buildings leased by government agencies. The branch conducts energy and water audits, and encourages the upgrading of buildings where appropriate to reduce consumption. It also implements policies to ensure new office leases and tenancy fit outs meet minimum NABERS energy rating targets.
Energy Efficiency Provisions Stakeholder Information Forum
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) hosted an information forum for key stakeholders on May 28. An overview of the changes, process and timelines was presented. Click here to access the presentations.
BCA Energy Efficiency Provisions 2010 And Beyond
On 30 April 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced that:
It would request the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) to deliver through the Building Code of Australia (BCA) in 2010-
All jurisdictions will also work together to develop a single national building energy standard setting and rating framework for driving outcomes-based improvement in the energy efficiency of Australia’s building stock.
The BCA will be the instrument by which both initiatives will be implemented, it will also provide for the use of rating tools developed by the market which provide an accurate assessment of a building’s performance, and ensure that such tools be transparent and user friendly. The timeframes for delivering these reforms in 2010 are extremely tight.
DevelopmentBecause of the tight timelines, the ABCB Office has been preparing for a possible request but because of the confidentiality and protocol, has not been able to tap into the wealth of industry and academic experience. Fortunately, the provisions required by COAG are a toughening of the current provisions with some restructuring where toughening becomes impractical. There is also the opportunity to amend some provisions that practitioners claim have been causing some difficulty in understanding and implementing.
Unlike the previous changes to the BCA for energy efficiency, there will not be Regulation Documents prepared but rather the proposed changes will follow the annual BCA amendment process. In accordance with the Office of Best Practice Regulation requirements, there will be a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) prepared and public comment invited on both the proposed changes and the RIS on those proposals.
ImplementationThe ABCB proposes to conduct awareness seminars in all States and Territories, update handbooks to assist users, update education modules, modify glazing and lighting calculators and also encourage practitioners organisations to conduct further specialist training.
The proposed program is as follows:
BCA launches live webcast on Proposed Energy Efficiency Provisions
Following from the stakeholder presentation on the Proposed Energy Efficiency Provisions for BCA 2010, the ABCB office offered a webcasting information session This webcast was split into two sessions. The morning session focussed on commercial buildings with the afternoon session focussed on residential buildings.
The archived webcast will be available later this week from the ABCB website http://www.abcb.gov.au/
AILA - Putting a value on landscape
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects has recently published the Australian Landscape Principles, as part of a broader strategic response to emerging urban design challenges posed by the increasing pace of global urbanisation and the impacts of climate change.
The Principles articulate an ethical decision-making framework for landscape planning, design and management within the urban development context. Their purpose is to strategically direct landscape interventions – both in our existing and future built environments – towards more sustainable, holistic outcomes.
The Principles represent the first outcome of AILA’s Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program 2008 - 1010, which is assisted by the Australian Government through the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change. They will be used to guide future development of climate change adaptation strategies and professional development programs for landscape architects, as well as increasing the knowledge base within the profession when assisting clients and government with this critical issue. For further information on the Principles, including implementation strategies and case studies go to: http://www.aila.org.au/landscapeprinciples
Greening Australia – Pioneers a carbon management program
Greening Australia, is pioneering a carbon management program to help industry consider the impact of urban development on global climate change.
In Canberra’s north, Greening Australia is working in partnership with the Canberra Investment Corporation (CIC) on the development of a new suburb called Crace, helping to minimise and offset carbon emissions generated over the initial land development stages.
CIC has taken a lead role by commissioning research into how they could minimise greenhouse gas emissions from every stage of the development – from earth moving and infrastructure, to home building and the first few years of occupation. Once that assessment had been done, CIC then committed to offset those emissions that could not be avoided in Greening Australia’s Greenhouse Friendly accredited carbon revegetation projects.
Greening Australia’s National CEO, David Williams, said of the project “our carbon management strategy for Crace includes securing land within an hour of the suburb and re-establishing a native woodland that will absorb the equivalent of the emissions resulting from the land development, and potentially from the building stage, over the next 25 years.”
During the last three years Greening Australia has developed a multiple outcome carbon sequestration program that delivers accredited carbon credits, as well as benefits for biodiversity, salinity remediation and soil stability. It also offers landholders an alternative business enterprise. For more information http://www.crace.com.au/
Greening Schools – Green Building Council and NABERS activities
The federal government’s $14.7 billion school infrastructure package is a golden opportunity to go green, and the Green Building Council of Australia is working with state and federal governments to ensure Green Star becomes the new standard in schools.
The Green Star Education v1 rating tool was released in 2008 to evaluate the environmental potential and integrated fitout of schools and universities, as well as to assess major refurbishments of existing facilities.
This tool can help schools and universities to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings, improve student outcomes and teacher morale, as well as achieve real cost savings. In fact, one international study has found that that green schools save an average of US$100,000 a year – enough to buy 200 new computers or 5,000 new textbooks.
To find out more, visit the ‘green your school’ section of the GBCA website or download the Green Star EducationTool Version 1.
NABERS is currently developing its Schools rating tool which is being developed and funded by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) on behalf of the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET)
The NABERS School will measure and rates the greenhouse emissions and water consumption of schools ranging from infants through to secondary schools.
NABERS Schools is intended as a comparative tool, which compares school buildings within the same school type. There are three school types:
Stay tuned for more developments.
DECC Launches Sustainable Property Guide
The Sustainable Property Guide provides advice on the business case and policy development for becoming a sustainable organisation, acquisitions and operational management, including tenant engagement and green leases.
Users of the guide receive practical advice on managing energy, water, waste and recycling as well as responsible refrigerant use and indoor air quality. It also details how to incorporate sustainability into project delivery, including tenders, fitouts and retrofits, as well as supply chain and procurement.
Over the coming months, the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (DECC) will work with industry partners to convert information in the Guide into a practical training course for commercial property professionals.
DECC will update the Sustainable Property Guide regularly and will look to the commercial property industry for information on the latest sustainability initiatives and case studies.
A Guide to Corporate Responsibility Reporting in The Property Sector
This voluntary guide from the Property Council of Australia (PCA) provides a basic template that will help property professionals customise their corporate responsibility reports and its purpose is to:1. provide a simple, entry level reporting template for property companies; 2. standardise the metrics that property companies use to report corporate responsibility; and 3. provide guidance on materiality in the property sector.
PCA is now seeking feedback on the draft guidelines will a long lead time of 12 months.
To down load a copy go to www.propertyoz.com.au/cr
PCA launches new tool for building retrofits
Existing Buildings Survival Strategies: making it happen, was launched at the Property Council's Existing Buildings Solutions Summit, this week. It guides building owners through a step-by-step process for assessing building assets, setting appropriate targets and identifying key upgrade initiatives to make sure they are making sound investment decisions.
The booklet includes a major study of three different types of buildings which showed that sustainable refurbishment produces a return of better than 10 per cent on investment.
This adds weight for ASBEC members to encourage state and federal governments to do more to support refurbishment and retro-greening of existing commercial buildings.
The Existing Buildings Survival Strategies II: making it happen publication is available from the Property Council's bookshop
Fire sprinkler maintenance changes to save 450 million litres of water annually
Commercial property owners, facilities managers and the fire services maintenance industry can potentially save Victorians 450 million litres of drinking water each year if they adopt new recommended fire sprinkler system testing and maintenance practices.
A fire sprinkler system water saving project was launched last year with the aim of cutting water use by about 90 percent of the estimated current consumption without any compromise in fire protection.
The first phase of the project has involved evaluation of fire sprinkler water-saving options at 14 case study sites. These ranged from high rise CBD office buildings to suburban shopping centres and large manufacturing sites. There is the potential to save more than 60 percent of the estimated 32 million litres of water used annually across the sites if the recommended water saving options are adopted.
The water consumption findings and water saving recommendations developed through the case studies have been compiled into a 120-page Guide to Fire Sprinkler System Water Saving, available through the Victorian Plumbing Industry Commission website: www.pic.vic.gov.au
ACEA submits its first response to DRET on Australia's Energy Security
The Asoociation of Consulting Engineers Australia’s (ACEA) paper entitled Toward an Australian Energy Security Strategy is a response to the Department of Energy, Resources and Tourism's (DRET) Energy Discussion Papers.
The ACEA’s submission has identified some initial priorities for action alongside inclusions for the next phase of consultation which will be in the form of a Green Paper. Some of the ACEA’s views raised include:
The full submission can be accessed here.
Victoria releases its Victorian Climate Change Green Paper
The Climate Change Green Paper is the next step in developing the Victorian Government's response to climate change.
A number of stakeholder forums have commenced with a workshop issues paper release. Industry practitioners have been disappointed to see that the building sector potential to take a lead has been missed in the Green paper, some are suggesting that there is little in the paper for industry to “grab hold of”.
We encourage ASBEC Members to make submissions to the Green Paper. The closing date for submissions is Wednesday 30 September 2009.
Click to find out how you can be involved
Select Committee on Fuel and Energy
Ensuring secure, reliable and affordable fuel and energy supplies in an environmentally sustainable way is one of the biggest public policy challenges we face as a nation over the next decade.
The Senate Select Committee on Fuel and Energy will investigate in depth the dynamics that are impacting upon our energy future.
Further information on how to make a submission is available at the committee's website: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fuelenergy_ctte/info.htm
NT Government establishes ‘Operation Stimulus’
The Northern Territory Government has established ‘Operation Stimulus’ to ensure maximum cooperation between government and the private sector to deliver infrastructure projects within tight timeframes and provide jobs for Territorians. Public housing and school building projects will be designed to a high level of sustainability.
http://www.operationstimulus.nt.gov.au/
A discussion paper, "A Northern Territory Approach to Ecologically Sustainable Development" was released by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to explore the development of sustainability principles that reflect the environmental, social and economic values of the Northern Territory. These principles will set the scene for the broad change required within the Northern Territory to ensure its development pathway is sustainable.
The NT EPA will develop a framework of principles of ecologically sustainable development in order to guide project planning, Government decision making and legislative and policy development on such issues as natural resource management, environment protection and resource development.
South Australia’s Building Innovation Fund
South Australia's Building Innovation Fund is designed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from South Australia's commercial office buildings in an innovative and publicly demonstrable manner.
Opportunities still exist for funding under both the capital works and feasibility study funding streams. Applicants should demonstrate new and leading edge approaches to retrofitting existing buildings that significantly reduce building energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The following are examples of eligible expenses:
Further examples of eligible projects can be found in the project guidelines
Sustainability Victoria launches Zero Emission Neighbourhoods program
Zero Emission Neighbourhoods (ZEN) is a new Victorian Government initiative to shape the sustainable future of new residential developments. ZEN is a $6 million funding grant program which will run over four years and aims to engage local government, developers and industry partners. Sustainability Victoria will work collaboratively with these groups and provide support (both financial and non-financial) to implement best-practice sustainable neighbourhoods.
ZEN will support developments that are designed for zero net greenhouse gas emissions. These developments will showcase innovative precinct scale water, waste, transport and energy solutions, such as local renewable energy supply, sustainable master planning & design, energy meters to help track and manage usage, onsite recycled water, as well as parklands and waterways. ZEN will also support projects that address the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental sustainability, as well as those that are designed to support the health and wellbeing of both residents and ecosystems, now and in the future.
ZEN is supported by the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund, managed by Sustainability Victoria.
For more information, email zen@sustainability.vic.gov.au
VicUrban joins Climate Positive Development Program
VicUrban has been invited to join the Clinton Climate Initiative's - Climate Positive Development Program, which supports large-scale urban projects that demonstrate cities can grow in ways that are climate positive. At the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group Summit in Seoul, President Clinton announced two VicUrban projects, amongst 16 projects worldwide, which will demonstrate economically viable innovations in buildings, the generation of clean energy, waste management, water management, transportation and outdoor lighting systems. The projects are the mixed use development at Officer in Melbourne’s South East, and the Victoria Harbour Project in Docklands which VicUrban is delivering in partnership with Lend Lease. Lend Lease aspires to develop Victoria Harbour as the most sustainable precinct within Melbourne and has led a number of its own significant ESD initiatives.
VicUrban’s Officer project located in Melbourne's south east is a 340 hectare town with 15,000 residents with a major activity centre, currently at the planning stage. It will demonstrate the climate change benefits of bringing jobs, services and transport solutions closer to where people live.
The first of the City Forums started last week in Sydney this week. Internationally renowned sustainability practitioner Peter Head was one of the key note speakers for the event. Tickets have been selling fast.
State partners for the event include ASBEC, City of Sydney, Department of Environment & Climate Change and Landcom. We are please to advise that the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts have agreed to be the national sponsor for the event.
We encourage all members to forward information about the City Forums and place links on their website to the ASBEC Events web page.
Business Case for Sustainable BuildingsThe Business Case Scoping Study will engage with the wide variety of stakeholders to determine:- Who are the Key target audiences that need a tool to highlight the Business for Sustainable Buildings- What are their needs- Does the tool ‘Sustainability Advantage’ worksheets meet all the needs of users.- Whether more than one tool is required- Opportunities for further work in tool development and the associated funding required.
The following members have generously provided funding for this project:Association of Consulting Engineers Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Energy Efficiency Council, Facility Management Association of Australia the Property Council of Australia and Sustainability Victoria. Corporate funding has also been received from Brookfield Multiplex.
We are still seeking additional funding to start the project.
Constructing Cities of the Future.Constructing Cities of the Future will provide the development of an innovative methodological approach to identifying the cost/benefit of the various scenarios and potential optimal urban form, construction and development options for the future to inform public policy and government decision making.
Through the generous funding of the following members, Association of Consulting Engineers Australia, Australian Conservation Council, Green Building Council of Australia, Australian Institute of Architects, Planning Institute of Australia the Property Council of Australia alongside, the ACT Planning & Land Authority and Built Environment Industry Innovation Council ASBEC are able to proceed with the first two phases of the project.This will include the preliminary tool development and baseline study of Adelaide, Ballarat, Bendigo, Brisbane, Geelong, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Townsville.
Climate Change Task GroupSince the development of the ASBEC CCTG’s Second Plank report there have been a number of major changes to the structure of the CPRS. This including a revised Australian emissions profile, and a number of Government initiated policies and programs specifically targeting energy efficiency in the built environment, this has provided an important opportunity to provide a review of the report.
For more information on this important project contact David Parken (email link) Chair of the Climate Change Task Group.
Promote your event, stakeholder forum or training course for free
Holding an event, stakeholder forum or training course why not promote it on the ASBEC website? Simply click this link, which is also available via our events page. Once you fill in the details of the event post it and drop us a line at and we will publish it.
Go to the member event page to see the great events members are holding this year including:
Built Environment Meets Parliament
AIRAH’s Achieving the Green Dream Conference
The next ASBEC Council Meeting will be held on August 11 and is kindly hosted by Engineers Australia. Note the the BEMP 2009 will commence that evening at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. BEMP is being organised by a number of members (not ASBEC) for more details go to www.bemp.com.au
Location: Engineering House11 National CircuitBARTON ACT 2600
Time:10am – 4pm
More details will be distributed closer to the date.
If you want a link to this newsletter for your members go to http://www.asbec.asn.au/newsletter_archive
AEPCA: Now the Energy Efficiency Council
In early 2009 energy efficiency service and product providers established a new peak body, the Energy Efficiency Council. The Council gives a voice to the energy efficiency industry and brings energy efficiency providers and clients together to grow the market for energy efficiency. The Council incorporates the members and activities of the Australasian Energy Performance Contracting Alliance (AEPCA), but has a much broader focus, promoting the full range of non-residential energy efficiency services and products.
Association of Accredited Certifiers
Accredited Certifiers have been impacted by many legislative changes in recent times, such as the introduction of the NSW Housing Code and planning reform updates. Giving Accredited Certifiers a voice, the Association of Accredited Certifiers (AAC) has been busy providing the practitioner’s point of view into the review of the Code and the development of the equivalent Complying Development Code for Commercial, Retail and Industrial developments.
The AAC is looking forward to the forthcoming accreditation of council certification staff. Accrediting all practitioners involved in the certification of building and subdivision works will ensure that anyone certifying buildings in NSW has the appropriate qualifications and that they are appropriately educated and trained, giving consumers greater confidence that their building projects meet relevant regulations, standards and codes.
Planning is well underway for the 2009 AAC Conference. Entitled 'Are we there yet?' the event follows last year’s theme 'Where to now?', and will reflect on recent changes to accreditation and certification.