Feedback Sought for ‘Green Star for New Buildings’ Australian Certification Standard

The Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) is seeking feedback on its Green Star for New Buildings, a new certification standard that “reimagines the existing rating tool for new buildings and major refurbishments,” according to the website on the standard. 

In particular, GBCA is seeking feedback via the website on proposed credits and on the changes to the certification process. The deadline for submitting feedback is February 28. To help stakeholders navigate the new rating tool, the website has prepared fact sheets for architects, builders and engineers.

Weekly webinars designed to explain the credits continue till February 27.

Green Star for New Buildings, announced in March 2019, comprises eight categories, with credits within each one: 

• Responsible: Credits in this category recognise activities that ensure the building is designed, procured, built and handed over in a responsible manner.  
• Healthy: Promotes actions and solutions that improve the physical and mental health of occupants.  
• Resilient: Encourages solutions that address climate change impacts, potential infrastructure losses, as well as those that enhance community resilience. 
• Positive: Drives the building to address energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption and the impact of materials and resources.
• Places: Supports the creation of safe, enjoyable, and comfortable places that are integrated into the broader urban fabric and enable communities to connect and thrive. 
• People: Encourages solutions that address the social health of the community, promote inclusion, and enhance our social fabric.  (The people category is currently unfinished. The credits “Design for inclusion”, “Design Quality” and “Privacy” will be released February 1.  To be informed of their release, contact  futurefocus@gbca.org.au.) 
• Nature: Encourages the creation of green buildings, new natural corridors in cities, and the restoration of our natural environment. 
• Leadership: Recognizes projects that set a strategic direction, build a vision for industry or enhance the industry’s capacity to innovate. 

According to the website, each category aims to “expand the scope of the current rating tool and deliver a more sustainable built environment.” 

There are a number of credits within the rating tool that all buildings seeking a Green Star rating are expected to earn; these are known as “Minimum Expectations.”

GBCA will only receive feedback via the submission form for each credit, or via a formal briefing session organized by GBCA.  Each credit has a feedback form attached to it. 

“Please use this form to submit feedback to us,” the website says.  “You can download every credit at once as part of one file. This is recommended if you will be submitting feedback for credits across many categories. This allows you to only fill in your details once. Alternatively you can download individual categories and submit feedback in that manner. You do not have to submit feedback to every credit.”

“From ensuring we are on a path to 1.5°C to expanding the definition of a sustainable built environment, we have ambitious goals, and thanks to all of your support and help, we will achieve them,” said Devan Valenti, Manager, Future Focus. GBCA on the website.