Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
extended and deepened across southern Australia. For 30 years we have
known how to build in a more energy and water-efficient way but the
systems of land development and building have not considered it necessary
to regulate sufficiently in this direction. Changes in July 2003 introduced in
the 'Building Code of Australia' have more substantial energy efficiency
requirements for building. Since then various State Governments have been
examining how to extend this. In particular the water issues in Australian
cities have become far more dominant and hence there has been a clear
political basis for introducing tougher rules on how to build in water effi-
ciency. Both NSW and Victoria have introduced innovations in standards for
water and energy use in buildings.
The next stage is to create an Australia-wide statutory development
control system that can be applied to all new development and all redevelop-
ment. It should also involve all the features of ecological innovation: energy,
water, site ecology, building materials, waste management from buildings
and so on. One such system called BASIX is being developed in NSW
(www.iplan.nsw.gov.au/basix). A 'sustainability scorecard' for all new urban
development that is based on outcomes, BASIX encourages innovation to
achieve these goals rather than being a too-prescriptive set of rules on how to
do it. The partnerships being used to develop and trial the system appear to
be a model for how sustainability can be developed as a progressive exercise
in public policy.
In July 2004 the NSW government introduced BASIX certificates for
energy and water outcomes and it will progressively move towards the other
areas of ecological innovation. All new and renovated developments in
Sydney are now required to use 40 per cent less water and 25 per cent less
energy than average Sydney households of the same type. There is a need for
a national approach to this issue so that developers and communities can be
assured of a common set of goals without arbitrary rules.
There are many good sustainability rationales for promoting this kind of
innovation in ecological building. However, it is important to see that such
building is a global market and if Australia can do it well then the new technol-
ogies, building materials (e.g. eco-cement and other recycled materials) and
support systems, are all good exports in a world hungry for sustainability.
Such innovation in ecological building will only work if people also actu-
ally use such buildings with an ecologically sensitive mind-set. If household-
ers abuse their new energy efficient homes they can still have excessive
